Response of Pile Groups Driven in Sand Subjected to Combined Loads

Although the loads applied on piles are usually a combination of both vertical and lateral loads, very limited experimental research has been done on the response of pile groups subjected to combined loads. Due to pile–soil–pile interaction in pile groups, the response of a pile group may differ substantially from that of a single pile. This difference depends on soil state and pile spacing. This paper presents results of experiments designed to investigate pile interaction effects on the response of pile groups subjected to both axial and lateral loads. The experiments were load tests performed on model pile groups (2 × 2 pile groups) in calibration chamber sand samples. The model piles were driven into the sand samples prepared with different relative densities using a sand pluviator. The combined load tests were performed on the model pile groups subjected to different axial load levels, i.e., 0 (pure lateral loading), 25, 50, and 75% of the ultimate axial load capacity of the pile groups, defined as the load corresponding to a settlement of 10% of the model pile diameter. The combined load test results showed that the bending moment and lateral deflection at the head of the piles increased substantially for tests performed in the presence of axial loads, suggesting that the presence of axial loads on groups of piles driven in sand is detrimental to their lateral capacity.     

Dynamic response of flexible rockfall barriers under different loading geometries

Flexible steel barriers are commonly constructed on steep hillsides to mitigate rockfall. The evaluation of the dynamic response of proprietary flexible barriers is conventionally performed using full-scale field tests by dropping a weight onto the barriers in accordance with the European test standard ETAG 27. The weight typically has a spherical or polyhedral shape and cannot reproduce more complex rockfall scenarios encountered in the field. A rigid slab may load a barrier over a larger area and its effect has not been investigated. In this study, a calibrated three-dimensional finite-element model was developed to study the performance of vertically and horizontally orientated rockfall barriers under concentrated areal impact loads. A new bilinear force-displacement model was incorporated into the model to simulate the behavior of the energy-dissipating devices on the barriers. The effect of different weight geometries was studied by considering impacts by a rigid single spherical boulder and a rigid slab. Results reveal that areal loading induced by a rigid slab increases the loading on the barrier foundation by up to 40 % in both horizontally and vertically positioned barriers when compared to a concentrated load scenario with a single boulder. This indicates that barriers tested under the current test standard does not give the worst-case scenario in terms of foundation loads, and barrier designers should take into account the possible effect of increased foundation loads by reinforcing the barrier posts and/or increasing their spacing.     

Microbial fuel cell operation using nitrate as terminal electron acceptor for simultaneous organic and nutrient removal

A double-chambered biocathode microbial fuel cell with carbon felt employed as electrodes was developed for wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generation simultaneously. The system was operated in fed-batch mode for over eight batches. The effect of circuit connections on organic and nitrate reduction was investigated. The maximum power density recorded was 21.97 mW/m² at current density of 88.57 mA/m². The Coulombic efficiency and internal resistance of the system were 5% and 100 Ω. Up to 89.9 ± 5.9% of chemical oxygen demand reduction efficiency achieved with an influent of 1123 ± 28 mg/L. There was no significant difference in the chemical oxygen demand reduction when system operated in either open or closed circuit. This study clearly showed that higher nitrate reduction efficiency obtained in closed circuit (74.7 ± 7.0%) due to bio-electrochemical denitrification compared to only 41.7% in the open circuit. The result also successfully demonstrated nitrate as terminal electron acceptor for the cathodic nitrate reduction.     

Statistical features of eddies approaching the Kuroshio east of Taiwan Island and Luzon Island

This study examined the statistical features of eddies approaching the Kuroshio east of Taiwan Island and Luzon Island. In total, 315 eddies (138 anticyclonic and 177 cyclonic eddies) were detected from 19.5 years of satellite altimeter sea-level data, with more than 95% of these eddies being generated in the ocean west of the Mariana Islands. Eddy trajectory statistics indicated that eddies frequently intrude into the Kuroshio regime at two latitude bands, namely 18°N–19°N and 22°N–23°N, with periods of 146 ± 62 and 165 ± 46 days, respectively. The interaction time is longer within the two active bands (33 ± 10 days at 18°N–19°N and 45 ± 17 days at 22°N–23°N) than at other latitudes. These two eddy-intrusion bands are associated with the northern and southern Subtropical Countercurrents (STCCs). These STCCs have a vertically reversed sign of the meridional potential vorticity gradient, thus providing a key energy source for eddy generation. In addition, when westward-propagating eddies approach the Ryukyu Islands, the southwestward recirculation flow east of the island chain as well as topographic effects cause some eddies to head southwestward to the east of Taiwan and intrude into the Kuroshio at 22°N–23°N, rather than to dissipate directly. Therefore, we suggest that the STCCs play a key role in inducing the eddies to frequently intrude into the Kuroshio at 18°N–19°N and 22°N–23°N. In addition, the Ryukyu Islands are responsible for concentrating the eddies within 22°N–23°N.     

Morphological identification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alexandrium</Emphasis> species (Dinophyceae) from Jinhae-Masan Bay,Korea

Outbreaks of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and dense blooms caused by Alexandrium species in Jinhae-Masan Bay, Korea have been nearly annual events for many years. However, excluding some Alexandrium species responsible for PSP, there are no critical reports on the morphology of Alexandrium species in this bay. To identify the Alexandrium species based on detailed morphological features, vegetative cells collected water samples and established by the incubation of resting cysts isolated from sediment trap samples were analyzed. Four species of Alexandrium were identified: Alexandrium affine, A. fundyense, A. catenella, and A. insuetum. Morphological features of these species were basically consistent with those outlined in previous studies. However, the ventral pore and the connecting pore on the sulcal plate, which have been accepted as diagnostic characteristics for the identification of A. fundyense and A. catenella, need to be reevaluated, indicating that useful morphological features for identifying these two species should be recommended to avoid confusion in the classification of species in genus Alexandrium.     

Effects of temperature and salinity on the asexual reproduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nemopilema nomurai</Emphasis> (Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae)

Asexual reproduction of polyps of Nemopilema nomurai, of which massive blooms have occurred in Korean waters every summer since 2003, were tested under 20 combinations of temperature (10, 15, 20, and 25°C) and salinity (12, 17, 22, 27, and 32 psu). Production of podocysts increased with increasing temperature (20 and 25°C), while strobilaton and ephyral liberation occurred at low temperatures (10 and 15°C). Temperature also affected the initiation of ephyral liberation (approximately 25 days at 15°C, and 50 days at 10 and 20°C, respectively). The number of podocysts was only significantly different between 27 and 32 psu, and salinity had no significant effect on the excystment of podocysts, ephyral liberlation, showing N. nomurai is euryhaline. These results demonstrated that temperature is an important factor on both the podocysts production and ephyrae liberation, possibly explaining early spring liberation of ephyrae and continuous introduction of medusae into Korean coastal waters through summer to fall.     

Tree wave migration across an elevation gradient in the Altai Mountains,Siberia

The phenomenon of tree waves(hedges and ribbons) formation within the alpine ecotone in Altai Mountains and its response to observed air temperature increase was considered. At the upper limit of tree growth Siberian pine(Pinus sibirica) forms hedges on windward slopes and ribbons on the leeward ones. Hedges were formed by prevailing winds and oriented along winds direction. Ribbons were formed by snow blowing and accumulating on the leeward slope and perpendicular to the prevailing winds, as well as to the elevation gradient. Hedges were always linked with microtopography features, whereas ribbons were not. Trees are migrating upward by waves and new ribbons and hedges are forming at or near tree line, whereas at lower elevations ribbons and hedges are being transformed into closed forests. Time series of high-resolution satellite scenes(from 1968 to 2010) indicated an upslope shift in the position ribbons averaged 155±26 m(or 3.7 m yr~(-1)) and crown closure increased(about 35%–90%). The hedges advance was limited by poor regeneration establishment and was negligible. Regeneration within the ribbon zone was approximately 2.5 times(5060 vs 2120 ha~(-1)) higherthen within the hedges zone. During the last four decades, Siberian pine in both hedges and ribbons strongly increased its growth increment, and recent tree growth rate for 50 year-old trees was about twice higher than those recorded for similarly-aged trees at the beginning of the 20~(th) century. Hedges and ribbons are phenomena that are widespread within the southern and northern Siberian Mountains.     

Tsunami deposits of the Shikotan earthquake of 1994

This paper describes the results of the grain-size and mineralogical studies of the deposits of the tsunami of 1994 on Shikotan, Tanfil’ev, and Kunashir islands. The studies were carried out within the portions of the coast with different configurations, geomorphologic structures, lithodynamical environments, and character of the tsunami manifestation. The composition of the tsunami deposits is shown to be controlled mainly by erosion-accumulative processes during the tsunami events and is in many respects inherited from the matter sources. The tsunami deposits contain marine diatom species, whose richest assemblages were found within the areas where the material from the underwater coastal slope was redeposited. The data concerning the deposits of earlier historical tsunamis encountered in the same cross sections are discussed too. Their examination points to a similar development of the erosional-accumulative processes during tsunami events with the same intensity and an entrainment of the matter from the same sources.     

The role of temperature in drought projections over North America

The effects of future temperature and hence evapotranspiration increases on drought risk over North America, based on ten current (1970–1999) and ten corresponding future (2040–2069) Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program, are presented in this study. The ten pairs of simulations considered in this study are based on six RCMs and four driving Atmosphere Ocean Coupled Global Climate Models. The effects of temperature and evapotranspiration on drought risks are assessed by comparing characteristics of drought events identified on the basis of Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspration Index (SPEI). The former index uses only precipitation, while the latter uses the difference (DIF) between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET) as input variables. As short- and long-term droughts impact various sectors differently, multi-scale (ranging from 1- to 12-month) drought events are considered. The projected increase in mean temperature by more than 2 °C in the future period compared to the current period for most parts of North America results in large increases in PET and decreases in DIF for the future period, especially for low latitude regions of North America. These changes result in large increases in future drought risks for most parts of the USA and southern Canada. Though similar results are obtained with SPI, the projected increases in the drought characteristics such as severity and duration and the spatial extent of regions susceptible to drought risks in the future are considerably larger in the case of SPEI-based analysis. Both approaches suggest that long-term and extreme drought events are affected more by the future increases in temperature and PET than short-term and moderate drought events, particularly over the high drought risk regions of North America.     

Observational climatology and characteristics of wintertime atmospheric blocking over Ural–Siberia

This study investigates the climatological aspects and temporal characteristics of wintertime Ural-Siberian blocking (USB, centered over 30°–100°E), for the period 1980/1981–2009/2010. Sixty-eight events are identified and their physical structure is diagnosed using thermodynamic and geostrophic vorticity tendency equations. In climatology, horizontal advections play a fundamental role in constructing a USB event, in which the anticyclonic center is a warm core in the troposphere and a cold core in the lower stratosphere. The decay of the thermal structure is related to diabatic cooling along the vertical structure and warm advection in the lower stratosphere. Meanwhile, the collapse of the height structure is caused primarily by cyclonic vorticity advection. A strong interrelationship exists between the intensity and extension of USB events. The temporal characteristics of USB events are analyzed by examining strong and weak events, which are of high and low intensity. The strong events are probably preceded by an open ridge over Europe and a cyclogenesis over the Mediterranean Sea, and their formation is followed by the stronger amplification of a Rossby wave packet across Eurasia. On the other hand, the weak events are likely to be triggered by surface cold anomalies over Siberia. Overall, the evolution of a USB event forms a dynamic linkage with the Siberian high, in which the decay stage of the USB event is accompanied by a southeastward migration of the Siberian high and a subsequent cold air outbreak in East Asia. These results advance our understanding of USB and its relationship with East Asian winter monsoon activities.