Velocity–porosity relationships: Predictive velocity model for cemented sands composed of multiple mineral phases

Computer simulations are used to calculate the elastic properties of model cemented sandstones composed of two or more mineral phases. Two idealized models are considered – a grain‐overlap clay/quartz mix and a pore‐lining clay/quartz mix. Unlike experimental data, the numerical data exhibit little noise yet cover a wide range of quartz/cement ratios and porosities. The results of the computations are in good agreement with experimental data for clay‐bearing consolidated sandstones. The effective modulus of solid mineral mixtures is found to be relatively insensitive to microstructural detail. It is shown that the Hashin–Shtrikman average is a good estimate for the modulus of the solid mineral mixtures. The distribution of the cement phase is found to have little effect on the computed modulus–porosity relationships. Numerical data for dry and saturated states confirm that Gassmann's equations remain valid for porous materials composed of multiple solid constituents. As noted previously, the Krief relationship successfully describes the porosity dependence of the dry shear modulus, and a recent empirical relationship provides a good estimate for the dry‐rock Poisson's ratio. From the numerical computations, a new empirical model, which requires only a knowledge of system mineralogy, is proposed for the modulus–porosity relationship of isotropic dry or fluid‐saturated porous materials composed of multiple solid constituents. Comparisons with experimental data for clean and shaly sandstones and computations for more complex, three‐mineral (quartz/dolomite/clay) systems show good agreement with the proposed model over a very wide range of porosities.     

The protection of karst water resources: the example of the Larzac karst plateau (south of France)

Wide karst plateaus extend in the carbonate rocks of the Grands Causses area, north of Montpellier (south of France). They are surrounded by a hard rock base that feeds important rivers, such as the Tarn River and tributaries, and crosses the plateaus creating deep gorges. The Larzac plateau, the most southern, makes a link with the Mediterranean region. It is traversed by one of the main national roads and another main road under construction from Clermont-Ferrand to Montpellier and Spain. The karst water resource of the plateau, from springs, is used as a water supply for the Millau area (30,000 inhabitants); but it also recharges surface rivers, mainly during the summer and fall when the water level is low, in a region that is well known for water recreation activities, for fish farming and, above all, for sheep farming and Roquefort cheese production. The fundamental question was should the karst and its water resource be fully protected by strict regulations (for example as a nature reservation) in land-use management of the plateau based upon the knowledge of its hydrogeological functioning and its karst structure? Decisions, concerning the ～500-km² area were elaborated from detailed hydrogeological studies, which included natural and artificial tracing, analysis of karst aquifer functioning, landscape analysis, and risk assessment and mapping. Recommendations were proposed to local and regional decision makers to define what were the preferences in terms of water resource protection and water quality restoration. Following such an approach in a karst area is not easy for hydrogeologists or for decision makers. In non-karstic regions, protection zones currently extend over small areas of a few square kilometers, which can be easily placed under the control of a small municipality. In the present example, the main water supplies are two springs that recharge areas that extend respectively over 100 and 110?km². Included are several municipalities, some of which use them for their water supply, whereas others are concerned with pollution risks and land management projects. The recent French Water Act, which considers water as a common heritage, allows for general management by all the users, and it deals with the water and the terrain in which it flows. The regulation tools seem very well suited to karst region management. However, time is needed to educate users and decision makers, and with the help of karst scientists, to work together in a framework that is larger than the usual municipal limits.     

Urban Thermodynamic Island in a Coastal City Analysed from an Optimized Surface Network

Within the framework of ESCOMPTE, a French experiment performed in June and July 2001 in the south-east of France to study the photo-oxidant pollution at the regional scale, the urban boundary layer (UBL) program focused on the study of the urban atmosphere over the coastal city of Marseille. A methodology developed to optimize a network of 20 stations measuring air temperature and moisture over the city is presented. It is based on the analysis of a numerical simulation, performed with the non-hydrostatic, mesoscale Meso-NH model, run with four nested-grids down to a horizontal resolution of 250 m over the city and including a specific parametrization for the urban surface energy balance. A three-day period was modelled and evaluated against data collected during the preparatory phase for the project in summer 2000. The simulated thermodynamic surface fields were analysed using an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition in order to determine the optimal network configuration designed to capture the dominant characteristics of the fields. It is the first attempt of application of this kind of methodology to the field of urban meteorology. The network, of 20 temperature and moisture sensors, was implemented during the UBL-ESCOMPTE experiment and continuously recorded data from 12 June to 14 July 2001. The measurements were analysed in order to assess the urban thermodynamic island spatio-temporal structure, also using EOF decomposition. During nighttime, the influence of urbanization on temperature is clear the field is characterized by concentric thermo-pleths around the old core of the city, which is the warmest area of the domain. The moisture field is more influenced by proximity to the sea and airflow patterns. During the day, the sea breeze often moves from west or south-west and consequently the spatial pattern for both parameters is characterized by a gradient perpendicular to the shoreline. Finally, in order to assess the methodology adopted, the spatial structures extracted from the simulation of the 2000 preparatory campaign and observations gathered in 2001 have been compared. They are highly correlated, which is a relevant validation of the methodology proposed. The relations between these spatial structures and geographical characteristics of the site have also been studied. High correlations between temperature spatial structure during nighttime and urban cover fraction or street aspect ratio are observed and simulated. For temperature during daytime or moisture during both daytime and nighttime these geographical factors are not correlated with thermodynamic fields spatial structures.     

Alternative technologies for rural areas–what about the ‘alternative’ dimension of Wi-Fi?

Summary  The question of alternative technologies for high-speed Internet access lies at the heart of rural development problems. In this paper, we focus on one of those technologies, the system combining satellite technologies and Wi-Fi. Based on an empirical study carried out in three rural areas, we analyze the dynamics of the use and appropriation of that technology by the companies and organizations participating in the experiment. Considered both from a technical and social standpoint, the technology ‘in use’ appears here in its structuring dimensions.

Break-up spots: Could the Pacific open as a consequence of plate kinematics?

The South Central Pacific is the location of an abnormal concentration of intraplate volcanism. Noting that this volcanism is present from the Kermadec Tonga trench to the Easter microplate and forms a wide east–west channel, we propose to explain its occurrence in relation to the Pacific plate geometry and kinematics. We construct 2D numerical models of stress and strain within the Pacific plate using its velocity field and boundary conditions. The models indicate a shear band, associated to a change from compressional stresses to the south to tensional stresses to the north, which develop after 10 Myr between the Australian plate corner and the Easter microplate. We propose that the Central Pacific intraplate volcanism is related to this process, and may represent the first step of a future plate re-organization which will eventually break the Pacific plate in a southern and a northern plate due to intraplate stresses. Present-day intraplate volcanism would define break up spots of the future border.     

The 14th international workshop on wave hindcasting and forecasting and the 5th coastal hazards symposium

Following the 14th International Workshop on Wave Hindcasting and Forecasting and 5th Coastal Hazards Symposium in November 2014 in Key West, Florida, a topical collection has appeared in recent issues of Ocean Dynamics. Here, we give a brief overview of the 16 papers published in this topical collection as well as an overview of the widening scope of the conference in recent years. A general trend in the field has been towards closer integration between the wave and ocean modelling communities. This is also seen in this topical collection, with several papers exploring the interaction between surface waves and mixed layer dynamics and sea ice.     

Mass Balance Measurements on the Lemon Creek Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska 1953–1998

Annual balance measurements on the Lemon Creek Glacier, Alaska conducted by the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) from 1953 through 1998 provide a continuous 46 year record. This is one of the nine American glaciers selected in a global monitoring network during the International Geophysical year, 1957/58. These data have been acquired primarily by employing consistent ground methods, conducted on similar annual dates and calculated using comparable methodology. The results have been until now fairly precise, but of uncertain accuracy. An adjunct comparison of topographic surface maps of the glacier made in 1957 and 32 years later in 1989 provides a rough determination of glacier surface elevation changes which are clearly of less precision than the compilation of annual ground data. Airborne surface profiling in 1995, and global positioning system leveling transects in 1996–1998 update the record of surface elevation changes over the past decade. The mean glacier ice thickness reductions suggested by these methods from 1957–1989, from 1957–1995 and from 1957–1998 are ?13.2 m, ?16.4 m, and ?21.7 m, respectively. It is of interest that the geodetic interpretations agree fairly well with the trend of sequential balances from ground-level stratigraphic measurements. To date, however, the infrequent mapping methods in this study have yielded specific balances averaging between 5 and 11% less than those resulting from our annual on-site glaciological monitoring. For future studies this can be an important factor. The ground data are, therefore, the ones in which we have most confidence. These show cumulative ice losses of ?13.9 m (12.7 m water equivalent w.e.) from 1957–1989, of ?19.0 m (?17.1 m w.e.) from 1957–1995, of ?24.4 m (22 m w.e.) from 1957–1998, and ?24.7 m (22.2 m w.e.) for the total cumulative loss over the full 46 years between 1953 and 1998. Although the balance trend has been increasingly negative it averages ?0.48 m/a in w.e. or 0.52 m of ice loss per year. To refine the reliability of density determinations in this data set the effects of internal accumulation from refrozen meltwater producing diagenetic ice structures in the annual firnpack have been taken into account. An unusual dearth of such structures within the 1997/98 firnpack provided a unique opportunity to facilitate application of the probing technique over broad areas of the nv. This added to our ground truth and verified accuracy of the test-pit measurements used in these long-term mass balance computations. The glacier's continuing negative mass balance has fueled a terminal retreat of 800 m during the 1953–1998 period. The annual balance trend indicates that despite a higher mean elevation and a higher elevation terminus from thinning and retreat, mean annual balance has been strongly negative since 1977 (?0.78 m/a w.e.). Dramatically increased negative mass balances have occurred in the 1990s, with 1996 and 1997 being the only years on record with no retained accumulation since field observations were initiated in the glacier source areas in 1948.