Evolution of oceanographic conditions off Baja California: 1997–1999

This paper examines the oceanic response off Baja California, Mexico, to the 1997–1998 El Niño and the transition to La Niña conditions. The data presented were gathered during seven cruises over a grid based on the CalCOFI station plan, from lines 100–130, out to station 80. T–S diagrams with data obtained during the peak phase of El Niño, demonstrate that warmer and saltier (spicier) than normal conditions prevailed in the upper 600 m over this region. Temperature and salinity anomalies calculated for CalCOFI line 120 revealed waters near the coast at 50 m depth to be up to 8.7 °C warmer and S=0.8 saltier than the climatology during October 1997. These large anomalies persisted through January 1998, with some slight diminution in the magnitudes near the surface. This study suggests that anomalously warm and salty waters were fed from a source of spicy water to the southwest, identified as Subtropical Surface Water (StSW), and that low-salinity Tropical surface waters (TSW) were blocked to the southeast in the vicinity of the tip of the Peninsula. Subsurface waters associated with the California undercurrent (CU), fed from the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), were also warmer and saltier than normal, and indicate a significant expansion in volume of the CU, presumably a result of intensification of poleward flow at depth. We postulate that the well defined near-surface and deep poleward flows in the study area reflect anomalous large-scale cyclonic circulation affecting the flow in the southeastern region of the North Pacific subtropical gyre east of 125°W. Following the El Niño event, warm and salty upper waters retreated to latitudes south of Punta Eugenia. With the return to normal and cooler conditions, equatorward flow over the sampling grid predominated with an increased meandering and mesoscale activity. Transition to La Niña conditions would have been associated with re-establishment of normal anticyclonic flow in the southeastern quadrant of the Pacific subtropical gyre.     

A simplified analytical model for run-out prediction of flow slides in municipal solid waste landfills

Flow slides in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills are common geoenvironmental issues in the urban environment and can pose a serious threat to the surrounding population and infrastructure. Prediction of the maximum run-out distance of flow slides in MSW landfills is therefore an essential part of hazard and risk assessment in engineering design. Based on the framework for simple analysis originally developed by Hungr (1995), we propose a simplified analytical model for calculating dam breaks in a plastic fluid along a single inclined base. In the proposed model, a quarter-elliptical shape is used to describe the approximate configuration of the flow slide. Following this step, the physical laws relating to the conservation of mass and energy are used to calculate the potential flow. Of additional note is a boundary condition in mathematics relating to this simplified analytical model, which is also reported in this study. Taking the obvious mobility characteristics of the MSW at point of failure into consideration, a three-phase simplified model along double inclined bases has been further developed for run-out prediction of the flow slide in MSW landfill. The proposed three-phase model is then applied to estimate the maximum run-out distance of two typical flow failures of landfills located in Sarajevo and Bandung, which demonstrate the capability of the proposed simplified analytical model for use in hazard assessments of landfills.     

An analytical method to compute comet cloud formation efficiency and its application

A quick analytical method is presented for calculating comet cloud formation efficiency in the case of a single planet or multiple-planet system for planets that are not too eccentric (e _p ≲ 0.3). A method to calculate the fraction of comets that stay under the control of each planet is also presented, as well as a way to determine the efficiency in different star cluster environments. The location of the planet(s) in mass-semi-major axis space to form a comet cloud is constrained based on the conditions developed by Tremaine (1993) together with estimates of the likelyhood of passing comets between planets; and, in the case of a single, eccentric planet, the additional constraint that it is, by itself, able to accelerate material to relative encounter velocity U ~ 0.4 within the age of the stellar system without sweeping up the majority of the material beforehand. For a single planet, it turns out the efficiency is mainly a function of planetary mass and semi-major axis of the planet and density of the stellar environment. The theory has been applied to some extrasolar systems and compared to numerical simulations for both these systems and the Solar System, as well as a diffusion scheme based on the energy kick distribution of Everhart (Astron J 73:1039–1052, 1968). The analytic results are in good agreement with the simulations.     

Comparison of daily and sub-daily SWAT models for daily streamflow simulation in the Upper Huai River Basin of China

Despite the significant role of precipitation in the hydrological cycle, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the impacts of the temporal resolution of rainfall inputs on the performance of SWAT (soil and water assessment tool) models in large-sized river basins. In this study, both daily and hourly rainfall observations at 28 rainfall stations were used as inputs to SWAT for daily streamflow simulation in the Upper Huai River Basin. Study results have demonstrated that the SWAT model with hourly rainfall inputs performed better than the model with daily rainfall inputs in daily streamflow simulation, primarily due to its better capability of simulating peak flows during the flood season. The sub-daily SWAT model estimated that 58 % of streamflow was contributed by baseflow compared to 34 % estimated by the daily model. Using the future daily and 3-h precipitation projections under the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) 4.5 scenario as inputs, the sub-daily SWAT model predicted a larger amount of monthly maximum daily flow during the wet years than the daily model. The differences between the daily and sub-daily SWAT model simulation results indicated that temporal rainfall resolution could have much impact on the simulation of hydrological process, streamflow, and consequently pollutant transport by SWAT models. There is an imperative need for more studies to examine the effects of temporal rainfall resolution on the simulation of hydrological and water pollutant transport processes by SWAT in river basins of different environmental conditions.     

Simplified formulae for designing coastal forest against tsunami run-up: one-dimensional approach

In the present study, laboratory experiments were conducted to validate the applicability of a numerical model based on one-dimensional nonlinear long-wave equations. The model includes drag and inertia resistance of trees to tsunami flow and porosity between trees and a simplified forest in a wave channel. It was confirmed that the water surface elevation and flow velocity by the numerical simulations agree well with the experimental results for various forest conditions of width and tree density. Further, the numerical model was applied to prototype conditions of a coastal forest of Pandanus odoratissimus to investigate the effects of forest conditions (width and tree density) and incident tsunami conditions (period and height) on run-up height and potential tsunami force. The modeling results were represented in curve-fit equations with the aim of providing simplified formulae for designing coastal forest against tsunamis. The run-up height and potential tsunami forces calculated by the curve-fit formulae and the numerical model agreed within ± 10% error.     

3D-Monitoring Big Geo Data on a seaport infrastructure based on FIWARE

Many organizations of all kinds are using new technologies to assist the acquisition and analysis of data. Seaports are a good example of this trend. Seaports generate data regarding the management of marine traffic and other elements, as well as environmental conditions given by meteorological sensors and buoys. However, this enormous amount of data, also known as Big Data, is useless without a proper system to organize, analyze and visualize it. SmartPort is an online platform for the visualization and management of a seaport data that has been built as a GIS application. This work offers a Rich Internet Application that allows the user to visualize and manage the different sources of information produced in a port environment. The Big Data management is based on the FIWARE platform, as well as “The Internet of Things” solutions for the data acquisition. At the same time, Glob3 Mobile (G3M) framework has been used for the development of map requirements. In this way, SmartPort supports 3D visualization of the ports scenery and its data sources.     

RAGLAND,AN LL3.4 CHONDRITE FIND FROM NEW MEXICO

The Ragland, New Mexico chondrite was found in 1978, and consists of a single stone of 12.16 kg that broke into three pieces. The stone is moderately weathered and has a pronounced chondritic texture. Bulk composition favors an LL classification, and modal analysis and oxygen isotopic composition are consistent with this. The thermoluminescence sensitivity of 0.056 ± 0.020 normalized to Dhajala, compositional variability of olivine (mean Fa 18.3, σ = 10.1) and low-Ca pyroxene (mean Fs 14.6, σ = 6.7), and Ca concentrations in olivine indicate metamorphic subtype 3.4 ± 0.1. The isotopically heavy oxygen composition, which is characteristic of subtypes 3.0–3.1, may be a primary characteristic and not a result of weathering. Low concentrations of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar and planetary ³⁶Ar suggest noble gas loss.     

The mitigation of the vibration effects caused by tunnel blasts in urban areas: a case study in Istanbul

Ground vibrations generated by commercial explosives in tunnel construction may cause structural damage in urban areas. Therefore, suppressing the vibration effects and mitigating the possible hazard after blasting is important. We present a new method of controlled blasting that is environmentally friendly, and easy to utilize for tunnel construction. Small charges in this method are detonated sequentially to produce minimum side effects. The efficiency of the charges may be increased based on the previously monitored shots. This method is utilized in a tunnel construction in Istanbul with five experimental shots. In these experiments, the duration and also the quantity of explosives were carefully controlled. We were able to obtain better results with short durations (480 ms) instead of long durations (9,000 ms) although the vibration levels defined as peak particle velocity (PPV) became bigger while the quantity of the explosive charge increased from 3.088 to 9.264 kg.