Probabilistic modeling of seismically triggered landslides using Monte Carlo simulations

The 2004 Chuetsu earthquakes of Niigata (Japan) triggered numerous landslides, and the most widespread types of landslides were highly disrupted, relatively shallow slides and soil (debris) flows. This paper presented a method to evaluate slope instability using Newmark displacement on a pixel-by-pixel basis in a given area. The proposed method was able to integrate Newmark displacement modeling and Monte Carlo simulations within geographical information systems. In the modeling, an empirical attenuation relationship was utilized to calculate Arias intensity over this study area, and the variability of geotechnical parameters was taken into account to calculate coseismic landslide displacement. Before deriving the displacement from related inputs, the Monte Carlo simulations ran 1,500 times and generated 1,500 displacement values for each grid cell, and then means and standard deviations of displacement were calculated and probabilistic distributions can be obtained. Finally, given 10 cm as a threshold value of displacement, estimated probabilities of displacement exceeding 10 cm were shown as a map of seismic landslide hazards. The resulting hazard map was classified into four categories from very low to high level.     

Slope inclinometers for landslides

Slope inclinometers/indicators are used to determine the magnitude, rate, direction, depth, and type of landslide movement. This information is usually vitally important for understanding the cause, behavior, and remediation of a landslide. However, many inclinometer measurements fail to achieve these intended aims because of lack of appreciation of the many factors that need to be correctly implemented during installation, monitoring, and data reduction to yield useful data. This paper presents some guidelines for understanding, installing, and interpreting slope inclinometers and presents three case histories that illustrate some of the pitfalls that can develop if these guidelines are not followed.     

An implementation of rock engineering system for ranking the instability potential of natural slopes in Greek territory. An application in Karditsa County

This paper presents an application of rock engineering system (RES) in an attempt to reveal and assess the inherent instability potential of 388 sites where equivalent landslides have been manifested and recorded in the region of Karditsa County, Greece. The main objective has been defining the principal causative and triggering factors responsible for the manifestation of landslide phenomena, quantify their interactions, obtain their weighted coefficients, and calculate the instability index, which refers to the inherent potential instability of each natural slope of the examined region. From the statistical interpretation of the data reported in a well-documented database and concerning the examined failure sites, a clear correlation between the instability index and the area affected by a single landslide event has been revealed. Almost the entire failure sites, 98% of the examined slope sites, exhibit an instability index value over 55, a value which is thought to be a critical threshold for landslide manifestation concerning natural slopes in Karditsa County. It is argued that the presented RES methodology, engaging the selected set of parameters, could be considered as an effective expert's tool for ranking, in an objectively optimal and simple way, the instability potential of natural slopes in Karditsa County, and thus providing a tool for sound zoning landslide hazard.     

Sediment Organic Carbon in Todos Santos Bay, Baja California, Mexico

Sediment grain size and organic carbon (OC) data collected over the past 50 years, together with δ¹³C values of OC in recently collected samples, were analyzed to improve understanding of sediment OC distribution and abundance in Todos Santos Bay. Sediments in the submarine canyon at the mouth of the bay and in quiet-water locations along the shore are fine grained, high in OC, and have generally low δ¹³C values; sediments in high-energy environments are low in OC and have high δ¹³C values. A bivariate isotopic mixing model indicates that none of the sediments contain >50% terrigenous OC (average ~30%), and that the terrigenous OC content of the sediments is a small proportion of the OC content of local soils. Sediment OC composition is apparently controlled by energy-related sorting and deposition, oxidation of much of the original terrigenous OC, and replacement of some terrigenous OC by marine OC.     

印度板块和亚洲大陆在何时何地碰撞

印度板块和亚洲大陆的初始碰撞时间是所有相关的喜马拉雅-西藏造山体系演化模式的主控条件,并严重影响到对众多与青藏高原隆升和东亚大陆挤出相关的地质过程速率的解释,以及对新生代全球气候变化的理解。尽管印度板块和亚洲大陆汇聚的速率在55Ma突然减缓被广泛地认为是初始碰撞的标志,但这次碰撞所造成的主要构造效应直到20多个百万年以后才显现出来。对印度板块和亚洲大陆相对位置的重新估算,表明它们在55Ma时并没有达到可以彼此发生碰撞的距离。基于来自西藏新的野外证据和对已有数据的重新评估,认为初始碰撞发生在始新世—渐新世之交（约34Ma）,并对55Ma时发生的地质事件提出了另一种解释     

北武夷地区逆冲推覆构造的特征及其控矿作用

北武夷地区成矿地质条件优越,矿产资源分布广泛,而广泛发育的推覆构造深刻影响着矿床的成生与保存。区域性推覆构造是成矿前、成矿期还是成矿后的构造,其精细结构特征如何,是否具有控岩控矿作用,如果是破矿作用,是否造成矿体重复增大或者隐伏、缺失等问题,严重影响着地质找矿的效果。建议开展面积性、追索性的路线地质调查,查明逆冲推覆构造的区域分布、不同单元的产状、构造样式,分别采用40Ar-39Ar和Re-Os定年技术测定推覆构造和矿体的形成时代,结合定量化分析及精细构造解析,研究构造与矿床的成生联系,预测隐伏矿体可能的位置,进而为北武夷地区寻找隐伏矿床和扩大矿床远景提供参考。     

磷处理粉煤灰可作农业土壤磷源

粉煤灰(简称CCP或ash)具有改良土壤,增加植物产量的功能。此外,由于它特殊的多孔结构,也可用作吸纳并承载植物养分的载体。用NaH2PO4配制成含磷0.10mol/L浓度的溶液,对采自加拿大西安大略省Sarnia地区Lambton电厂的底灰(bottomash)进行振荡浸渍处理。结果表明,振荡浸渍66h后的粉煤灰中磷含量可达784×10-6。以磷处理粉煤灰、未进行磷处理的粉煤灰和石英砂按比例混合,作为基本生长介质进行玉米种植实验,其中实验配方设计为生长介质中含磷量分别为标准含磷浓度(50×10-6)的10%、25%、50%、75%和100%。生长26、34和46d后分别与不含磷的空白配方、施加含氮-磷-钾为0-20-0标准磷肥并控制磷含量为标准浓度(50×10-6)配方进行生物产量对比。生长实验结果表明,以磷处理粉煤灰供磷的生长介质,当含磷量为标准浓度的25%至100%时,其植物生长量就比添加标准浓度磷肥的配方好。种植46d后的生物生长量统计结果显示,含磷分别为标准浓度50%、75%和100%的实验介质中,玉米杆的鲜重较施标准磷肥介质中玉米分别增长39.46%、42.73%和46.13%;玉米杆干重依次增加29.71%、13.39%和28.87%;根鲜重平均增加16.62%;根干重平均增加14.03%。上述实验结果启示,粉煤灰可以很好地吸纳承载磷养分,并持续供给植物吸收生长,如果采用吸纳磷(或其他养分)的粉煤灰改良砂质土壤将有重要意义。     

Assessment of cement’s dust impact on the soil using principal component analysis and GIS

To evaluate the impact of the cement’s dust emitted by the eastern Moroccan cement factory (Oujda Holcim) and deposited on the soil of the Ain Lahjar commune, 58 samples of soil were collected around the factory on a radius of 3 km approximately. The physicochemical analyses of the upper 3 cm of the soil surface samples correspond to the pH, electrical conductivity, the chlorides and the oxides of Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mn, S and Si which were analyzed by the fluorescence of X-rays. The preliminary results demonstrate that this dust are especially basic and contain a high free lime (43% CaO). The principal component analysis (applied on the 58 samples of soil) allows deducting that the free lime and the sulfur oxide are the tracer elements of this form of pollution. Furthermore, the spatial projection of the factor scores of the principal component analysis using the geographical information system permits to determine the spatial distribution of more polluted areas of soils as well as to estimate their surface (63.3% of the survey zone).     

Cross inoculation studies: Response of Vigna mungo to inoculation with rhizobia from tree legumes growing under arid Environment

Cross-inoculation experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to test the rhizobia isolated from nodules of seven tree legumes for their effectiveness in Vigna mungo plants. The tree legumes included Albizia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo, Leucaena leucocephala, Pithecellobium dulce, Prosopis cineraria, Prosopis glandulosa and Prosopis juliflora, all growing under arid environment. Rhizobia from these legumes formed nodules on the roots of Vigna mungo except isolates from Albizia lebbeck. Dry weight and nitrogen contents of Vigna mungo plants increased significantly (P<0.05) in response to cross inoculation as compared to uninoculated control. Rhizobia from Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis glandulosa showed significant increase in dry weight (P<0.05) and nitrogen contents (P<0.05) than other inoculated treatments. The natural rhizobia of wild tree legumes growing under arid environment show higher tolerance to prevailing adverse conditions like salt stress, elevated temperatures and drought. These rhizobia may be used to inoculate wild as well as crop legumes cultivated in reclaimed desert lands. These rhizobia may have specific traits that can be transferred to other rhizobia through genetic engineering tools. The cross infection of agriculturally important legumes with isolates from wild legumes may prove a useful means of increasing nitrogen contents within these plants.     

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in organs of fresh water fish Cyprinus carpio (Common carp)

The objective of the present study is to determine the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in various organs of the fresh water fish exposed to heavy metal contaminated water system. The experimental fish was exposed to Cr, Ni, Cd and Pb at sublethal concentrations for periods of 32 days. The elements Cd, Pb, Ni and Cr were assayed using Shimadzu AA 6200 atomic absorption spectrophotometery and the results were given as μ/g dry wt. The accumulation of heavy metal gradually increases in liver during the heavy metal exposure period. All the results were statistically significant at p < 0.001. The order of heavy metal accumulation in the gills and liver was Cd > Pb > Ni > Cr and Pb > Cd > Ni > Cr. Similarly, in case of kidney and flesh tissues, the order was Pb > Cd > Cr > Ni and Pb > Cr > Cd > Ni. In all heavy metals, the bioaccumulation of lead and cadmium proportion was significantly increased in the tissues of Cyprinus carpio (Common carp).