Estimating overland flow erosion capacity using unit stream power

Soil erosion caused by water flow is a complex problem. Both empirical and physically based approaches were used for the estimation of surface erosion rates. Their applications are mainly limited to experimental areas or laboratory studies. The maximum sediment concentration overland flow can carry is not considered in most of the existing surface erosion models. The lack of erosion capacity limitation may cause over estimations of sediment concentration. A correlation analysis is used in this study to determine significant factors that impact surface erosion capacity. The result shows that the unit stream power is the most dominant factor for overland flow erosion which is consistent with experimental data. A bounded regression formula is used to reflect the limits that sediment concentration cannot be less than zero nor greater than a maximum value. The coefficients used in the model are calibrated using published laboratory data. The computed results agree with laboratory data very well. A one dimensional overland flow diffusive wave model is used in conjunction with the developed soil erosion equation to simulate field experimental results. This study concludes that the non-linear regression method using unit stream power as the dominant factor performs well for estimating overland flow erosion capacity.     

On the chondrite—achondrite transition: mineralogy and chemistry of Yamato 74160 (LL7)

We report on the petrology, mineralogic properties and contents of major elements and trace elements Ag, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Se, Te, Tl, U and Zn (determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis) in Yamato 74160, interpreted as an LL7 chondrite. All properties are consistent with this meteorite having been recrystallized and partially melted locally once at temperatures well above 1090°C under conditions such that some minerals (e.g. plagioclase, euhedral pyroxene, tetrataenite) grew from melt pockets and siderophilic and chalcophilic elements were lost by extraction into eutectic melt that drained away. Inhomogeneous plagioclase compositions and mobile element loss suggest shock as the most likely heat source. Yamato 74160, while inferentially chondritic, is a larval achondrite: even higher temperatures and longer times would have been required to cause the separations necessary to transform it to an identifiable achondrite type.     

Meander hydrodynamics initiated by river restoration deflectors

River restoration projects have installed j‐hook deflectors along the outer bank of meander bends to reduce hydraulic erosion, and in this study we use a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to document how these deflectors initiate changes in meander hydrodynamics. We validated the CFD with streamwise and cross‐channel bankfull velocities from a 193° meander bend flume (inlet at 0°) with a fixed point bar and pool equilibrium bed but no j‐hooks, and then used the CFD to simulate changes to flow initiated by bank‐attached boulder j‐hooks (1^st attached at 70°, then a 2^nd at 160°). At bankfull and half bankfull flow the j‐hooks flattened transverse water surface slopes, formed backwater pools upstream of the boulders, and steepened longitudinal water slopes across the boulders and in the conveyance region off the mid‐channel boulder tip. Streamwise velocity and mass transport jets upstream of the j‐hooks were stilled, mid‐channel jets were initiated in the conveyance region, eddies with a cross‐channel axis formed below boulders, and eddies with a vertical axis were shed into wake zones downstream of the point bar and outer bank boulders. At half bankfull depth conveyance region flow cut toward the outer bank downstream of the j‐hook boulders and the secondary circulation cells were reshaped. At bankfull depth the j‐hook at 160° was needed to redirect bank‐impinging flow sent by the upstream j‐hook. The hooked boulder tip of both j‐hooks funneled surface flow into mid‐channel plunging jets, which reversed the secondary circulation cells and initiated 1 to 3 counter rotating cells through the entire meander. The main outer bank collision zone centered at 50° without the j‐hook was moved by the j‐hook to within and just beyond the 70° j‐hook boulder region, which displaced other mass transport zones downstream. J‐hooks re‐organized water surface slopes, streamwise and cross‐channel velocities, and mass transport patterns, to move shear stress from the outer bank and into the conveyance and mid‐channel zones at bankfull flow. At half bankfull flows a patch of high shear re‐attached to the outer bank below the downstream j‐hook. J‐hook geometry and placement within natural meanders can be analyzed with CFD models to help restoration teams reach design goals and understand hydraulic impacts. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Pleistocene-Holocene oceanographic changes in the Northeastern Pacific

The distributions of the radiolarian assemblages in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean were determined and correlated with the average summer temperature of the near surface waters of this region. These assemblages were compared with those in three sediment cores taken beneath the Transition Zone waters. This comparison indicates that the assemblage off Oregon at the last maximum cold interval (24,000 yr B.P.) was like that now found off southern Alaska. The correlation of the radiolarian assemblages with temperature gives an estimate of 11°C for the average summer temperature at that time. This is approximately 4°C cooler than present day conditions in the area. Superimposed on the general warming trend that began 24,000 y.a., there are minor oscillations in the assemblages which correspond to estimates of temperature change of about 2°C in the Pleistocene and about 1°C in the Holocene. In the Holocene, these minor warm intervals appear to be approximately synchronous with advances in mountain glaciers.     

A coupled finite element–rigid block method for transient analysis of rock caverns

A coupled finite element–rigid block model for the transient analysis of caverns in jointed media is presented. This coupling permits the modelling of lined openings in a jointed rock mass as well as the propagation of stress waves to the cavern. Both the finite element and the rigid block algorithms employ explicit time integration; an efficient, stable scheme is developed for coupling the two algorithms. Two numerical examples are given: one is a simple validation, the second is a representation of a lined cavern in a sparsely jointed medium.     

Geology of the lunar farside crater Necho

The lunar farside crater Necho (30 km diameter) displays intricate morphological and structural characteristics. The highland setting provides a complex impact site when compared with the relatively uniform setting of mare craters. Therefore, the effects of pre-impact topography and structure play a dominant role in Necho's formation and modification. Necho's bright ejecta, extensive rays, fresh morphology, and lack of superposed craters indicate that it is extremely young. The asymmetric distribution of ejecta materials may be due to substrate effects, topographic shalowing, or oblique impact.Necho's interior is divided into five physiographic units based on morphologic differences: three floor units (Necho does not display a true flat floor), one hilly central unit, and the wall unit which includes terraces and smooth walls. The interior of the crater also exhibits an unusual asymmetry in the prevalence of terraced units on the western wall. Interior morphology and terrace orientations are probably the result of pre-impact effects. Structural and topographic orientations associated with three large pre-existing degraded craters dominate the impact site.     

Automated classification of stellar spectra — II. Two-dimensional classification with neural networks and principal components analysis

We investigate the application of neural networks to the automation of MK spectral classification. The data set for this project consists of a set of over 5000 optical (3800–5200 Å) spectra obtained from objective prism plates from the Michigan Spectral Survey. These spectra, along with their two-dimensional MK classifications listed in the Michigan Henry Draper Catalogue, were used to develop supervised neural network classifiers. We show that neural networks can give accurate spectral type classifications (σ₆₈= 0.82 subtypes, σ_rms= 1.09 subtypes) across the full range of spectral types present in the data set (B2–M7). We show also that the networks yield correct luminosity classes for over 95 per cent of both dwarfs and giants with a high degree of confidence.   Stellar spectra generally contain a large amount of redundant information. We investigate the application of principal components analysis (PCA) to the optimal compression of spectra. We show that PCA can compress the spectra by a factor of over 30 while retaining essentially all of the useful information in the data set. Furthermore, it is shown that this compression optimally removes noise and can be used to identify unusual spectra.   This paper is a continuation of the work carried out by von Hippel et al. (Paper I).