Daily pan evaporation modelling using multi‐layer perceptrons and radial basis neural networks

This paper reports on investigations of the abilities of three different artificial neural network (ANN) techniques, multi‐layer perceptrons (MLP), radial basis neural networks (RBNN) and generalized regression neural networks (GRNN) to estimate daily pan evaporation. Different MLP models comprising various combinations of daily climatic variables, that is, air temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, pressure and humidity were developed to evaluate the effect of each of these variables on pan evaporation. The MLP estimates are compared with those of the RBNN and GRNN techniques. The Stephens‐Stewart (SS) method is also considered for the comparison. The performances of the models are evaluated using root mean square errors (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and determination coefficient (R²) statistics. Based on the comparisons, it was found that the MLP and RBNN computing techniques could be employed successfully to model the evaporation process using the available climatic data. The GRNN was found to perform better than the SS method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of matric suction on shear strength behavior of a residual clayey soil

In this paper, the shear strength with respect to the matric suction of unsaturated soils was studied. For this purpose, unsaturated triaxial testing procedures were applied to the undisturbed residual soil specimens. An apparatus for performing triaxial tests was designed and constructed. In the tests, matric suction was controlled by using the axis translation technique, and pore water volume changes were measured by means of a volume change transducer with 10⁻⁸ m³ sensitivity. The test results indicated that the matric suction contributes to the shear strength of unsaturated soil specimens, and this contribution called suction strength varies non-linearly with respect to the matric suction. The logarithmic model needing to know the air-entry value and the internal friction angle of a soil specimen for prediction of the suction strength were presented and compared with the test results. It was found that suction strength values predicted from the proposed model were in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results.     

Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars as Tracers of Star Formation Histories: the GAIA Context

We discuss a possible use of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars for tracing star formation histories on the Galactic and extragalactic distance scales with the ESA's astrometric space mission GAIA. Extensive numerical simulations demonstrate that metallicities (Δ [M/H] ≲ 0.3) can be obtained for the AGB stars with GAIA up to the distances of ∼ 200 kpc, if no interstellar extinction is present. Reliable population ages can be also obtained from the AGB stars if their T _eff are constrained precisely. We show that precise effective temperatures can be obtained by fitting observed spectral energy distributions of the AGB stars with theoretical fluxes calculated from the synthetic spectra. A combination of the derived effective temperatures with the bolometric luminosities allows to derive precise population ages for a wide range of ages and metallicities over the large distance scales. This demonstrates that AGB stars can be employed very effectively for tracing star formation histories with GAIA, allowing to refine the global evolutionary scenarios of stellar populations in the Milky Way and the galaxies beyond. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Geotechnical evaluation of Miocene gypsum from Sivas (Turkey)

Gypsum is widely distributed in Sivas (Turkey), occurring chiefly in the formations of Miocene age. The gypsum is generally of the alabastrine type with a little of the porphiroblast type and contains traces of clay minerals, anhydrite and calcite. It is a moderately strong rock in terms of its unconfined compressive strength which is related to the crystal size. Strength increases as the crystal size decreases. The strength of gypsum was reduced by approximately 55%, when the samples were kept in the water for 20 days. Most samples exhibit plastic–elastic–plastic deformation. The gypsum has a high modulus ratio, and is a moderately deformable rock. High lateral deformations and low vertical deformations are observed under the vertical stress conditions in accordance with the relationship between modulus ratio and strain.     

Search for neutrino decay during the 1999 solar eclipse

The solar neutrino problem could arise from oscillation of one neutrinotype into a secondtype. Neutrinos would have a mass and there could be the possibility ofradiative neutrino decays. We discuss the search for neutrino decaysduring the 1999 solar eclipse: it involves the emitted visible photons,while neutrinos travel from the Moon to the Earth. The concept and themain characteristics of the NOTTE experiment are presented.     

Directional properties of small strain shear stiffness in soils

A compiled database of shear wave velocity measurements in a variety of clays, silts and sands shows directional hierarchies between downhole (V_sVH), standard crosshole (V_sHV), and rotary crosshole (V_sHH) tests. The special in situ database has been collected from 33 well-documented geotechnical test sites. Expressions relating the small-strain shear modulus in terms of effective confining stress level, stress history and void ratio are explored for each of these three modes of directional shear wave velocity. The relationships are separated initially into soil groups (intact clays, fissured clays, sands and silts), and then generalised to consider all soil types together.     

A Comparative Study of Ozonation,Homogeneous Catalytic Ozonation,and Photocatalytic Ozonation for C.I. Reactive Red 194 Azo Dye Degradation

In this study, the decolorization, dearomatization, and mineralization efficiencies of different advanced oxidation processes (AOPs; namely O₃, O₃/Fe(II), O₃/Fe(II)/UVA, and O₃/TiO₂/UVA) were investigated for the azo dye C.I. Reactive Red 194 (RR194). The effects of pH (3–11), amount of TiO₂ (0.05–1 g/L), and concentration of Fe(II) (0.1–1.6 mM) were investigated for the applied methods. The decolorization and mineralization efficiencies of the photocatalytic ozonation system (O₃/TiO₂/UVA) were increased by decreasing the pH of the dye solution in contrast to the ozonation system (O₃). Decolorization of RR194 was increased in the photocatalytic ozonation system with an increasing amount of catalyst however, a decreasing was occurred for the homogeneous catalytic system (O₃/Fe(II)) when increasing the concentration of catalyst. The decolorization efficiency of the homogeneous catalytic system (O₃/Fe(II)) was enhanced when combined with UVA light. In our study, the most efficient method for dearomatization and mineralization was the O₃/TiO₂/UVA among the applied AOPs.     

3-D Structure of the Galactic Interstellar Matter: A Contribution from GAIA

We investigate the possibilities for tracing interstellar extinction with the ESA's astrometric space mission GAIA. The analysis is based on detailed simulations of the GAIA photometry, which are used to derive the distribution of interstellar matter in a modelled Galaxy. We find that `small' diffuse clouds (diameter D = 4 pc, E <sub>B-V</sub> = 0.06) will be easily traced with GAIA up to the distances of ∼ 800 pc. `Large' diffuse interstellar clouds (D = 10 pc, E _B-V = 0.13) will be located up to the distances of ∼ 2.5 kpc. This holds for the reddening tracers of spectral types O – K2 brighter than V = 17. Inmost cases, due to their low spatial density, the early type stars (O– A2) cannot provide reliable information about the distribution of interstellar matter. None of the reddening tracers measured by GAIA will provide reliable identification of the individual interstellar clouds beyond the distances of ∼ 3 kpc. Therefore, we conclude that the information available from photometric observations will be not sufficient for the detailed reconstruction of the 3-D distribution of Galactic interstellar matter. It is therefore extremely important to define the new strategies which would allow to combine all the available information, including the earlier space- and/or ground-based investigations, together with the information which will be provided by GAIA itself (parallaxes, E _B-V etc.). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evidence of Possible Recharge Zones for Lake Salda (Turkey)

This study explores the evidence of recharge locations using hydrogeochemical and physicochemical measurements in an alkaline lake, Lake Salda, in Burdur, Turkey. In-situ measurements have been performed using a conductivity–temperature–depth device to map the physicochemical dynamic of the lake. Water and sediment samples were collected on the surface and floor of the lake. A seismic study was also carried out in order to observe the geometry of the lake floor. In addition, thermal distribution was mapped using the thermal band of Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 satellite images. Temperature and specific conductance measurements were mapped using a new technique, Empirical Bayesian Kriging (EBK), from the lake’s surface to the floor. According to interpolation maps obtained from the EBK, possible water inputs were observed close to a fault at the south-eastern part of the lake. The results of thermal band imaging also reveal the probability of a fault effecting the recharge on the surface. The results of water and sediment samples present a richness in Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ elements respectively on the floor of the lake. Finally, seismic results show some possible recharge zones on the floor of the lake, and sediment results indicate that there should be peridotite occurrence below the alluvium unit.