3D bearing capacity probabilistic analyses of footings on spatially variable c–φ soil

Acta Geotechnica - The paper examines three-dimensional (3D) analyses of the load bearing capacity of square and strip footings on a spatially variable cohesive–frictional (c–φ)...     

Model-free estimation of fracture aperture with neural networks

The feedforward backpropagation technique provides a model-free estimation with neural networks. The algorithm was used to estimate fracture aperture of natural fractures in three dimensional space. A three-layer neural network with at least 5 nodes in a hidden layer was trained on a data set consisting of formation imaging microscanner logs (FMS)from horizontal boreholes. Sensitivity studies were performed to account for the rate of learning convergence, convergence to local error minima, etc. Among the factors contributing mostly to the overall good or bad performance of the network, the following are worth mentioning: number of data points, data spacing, and data variability. It is shown that a smoothing operation applied to aperture data along the wellbore often helps to reduce disorientation of the network and to switch from oscillations or chaotic jumps to convergence.     

Geochemical facies model of ore formation in the Grythyttan-Hällefors area,Bergslagen, Central Sweden

The different iron and manganese ore deposits of the Grythyttan-Hällefors area display an arrangement that reflects a systematic change in redox conditions from oxidic banded iron formation into highly reduced graphite-bearing slates. This phenomenon is explained by a facies model. The different environmental conditions are also held to be responsible for the geochemical differentiation of base metal deposits into Cu ores associated with minerals of Bi, Co, Mo, As, Zn, Pb, Au, and Pb-Zn-Ag ores associated with minerals of Sb, Mn, As, Sn, Cu. Spatial relationships between deposits of these two groups and certain iron and manganese deposits point to a common source of all metals, possibly connected with exhalative derivates from basic volcanism.

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Zusammenfassung Die verschiedenen Eisen- und Manganerz-Bildungen des Grythyttan-Hällefors-Gebietes zeigen Verhältnisse auf, die einem systematischen Wechsel der Redoxbedingungen wiedergeben, von oxidischer Bändereisenerzbildung bis hin zu stark reduzierten graphitführenden Schiefern. Dieses Phänomen wird durch ein Fazies-Modell erklärt. Die unterschiedlichen Milieu-Bedingungen werden auch als Ursache für die geochemische Diferentiation unedler Metall-Ablagerungen in Cu-Erze angesehen, die mit Mineralien assoziiert sind, die Bi, Co, Mo, As, Zn, Pb, Au führen und in Pb-Zn-Ag-Erze in Verbindung mit Sb-, Mn-, As-, Sn- und Cu-führenden Mineralien. Die räumlichen Beziehungen zwischen Ablagerungen dieser zwei Gruppen und gewissen Eisen- und Mangan-Bildungen weisen auf eine gemeinsame Quelle aller Metalle hin, die möglicherweise mit exhalativen Derivaten eines basischen Vulkanismus in Verbindung steht.

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Résumé Les différents gisements de minerais de Fe et Mn de la région de Grythyttan-Hällefors montrent une disposition qui réflète un changement systématique dans les ernolitions de réduction des formations rubanées de fer oxydé en phyllades graphiteux. Ce phénomène s'explique suivant un modèle faciétal. Les différentes conditions de l'environnement sont ainsi rendues responsables de la différentiation géochimique des gisements métallifères de base en minerais de Cu associés à des minéraux de Bi, Co, Mo, As, Zn, Pb, Au et des minerais de Pb-Zn-Ag associés à des minéraux de Sb, Mn, As, Sn, Cu. Des relations spatiales entre les gisements de ces deux groupes et certains gisements de Fe et Mn indiquent une source commune pour tous les métaux, en liaison possible avec des émanations du volcanisme basique.

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Crustal and uppermost mantle S-wave velocity below the East European Craton in northern Poland from the inversion of ambient-noise records

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The P-wave velocities (Vp) within the East European Craton in Poland are well known through several seismic experiments which permitted to build a...     

Full‐scale Applications of Membrane Filtration in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants

The performance of one pilot‐scale and two full‐scale membrane bioreactors (MBR) were evaluated based on the control of main operational parameters, composition of microbial community and pathogens concentration in the treated outlet. Plants were designed for 0.75 m³/day (A), 60 m³/day (B) and 30 m³/day (C). Inlet and outlet samples were monitored for chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand, total suspended solids, ammonia nitrogen concentration (NH₄–N), nitrate nitrogen concentration, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus and phosphate phosphorus concentration concentrations. Plants showed good COD removal: 91.9% for Plant A, 97.8% for Plant B and 94.2% for Plant C. The targeted nitrogenous ion was NH₄–N due to the requirements for outlet limits. NH₄–N removal was moderate for Plant A (73.3%) and Plant B (86.1%) and excellent for Plant C (>99%). Excellent phosphorus removal was achieved by Plant A (average outlet concentration was 0.7 mg/L, efficiency 84.7%). Unsatisfactory results for phosphorus removal were achieved at the full‐scale plants due to operational problems. The dependency between the extracellular polymeric substances increase and decreasing mixed liquor volatile suspended solids for both lab and full‐scale plants was confirmed. Soluble microbial product concentrations were reduced by 65–68% after coagulant dosage for Plant A. Outlets from the MBR plants were monitored for the presence of pathogens (thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli, intestinal Enterococci and culturable microorganisms at 22 and 37°C). The treated effluent from Plant A, B and C met Czech national legislation regarding reuse criteria (standards) for environment, irrigation and swimming purposes. Plants B and C were not able to achieve requirements for potable water and personal hygiene quality standards.     

Comparison of global storm activity rate calculated from Schumann resonance background components to electric field intensity E0Z

This work presents the results of a comparison between the global storm activity rate I_RS and electric field intensity E_0Z. The permanent analysis of the I_RS may become an important tool for testing Global Electric Circuit models. I_RS is determined by a new method that uses the background component of the first 7 Schumann resonances (SR). The rate calculations are based on ELF observations carried out in 2005 and 2006 in the observatory station “Hylaty” of the Jagiellonian University in the Eastern Carpathians (Kułak, A., Zięba, S., Micek, S., Nieckarz, Z., 2003. Solar variations in extremely low frequency propagation parameters: I. A two-dimensional telegraph equation (TDTE) model of ELF propagation and fundamental parameters of Schumann resonances, J. Geophys. Res., 108, 1270, doi:10.1029/2002JA009304). Diurnal runs of the I_RS rate were compared with diurnal runs of E_0Z amplitudes registered at the Earth's surface in the Geophysical Observatory of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Świder (Kubicki, M., 2005. Results of Atmospheric Electricity and Meteorological Observations, S. Kalinowski Geophysical Observatory at Świder 2004, Pub. Inst. Geophysics Polish Academy of Sciences, D-68 (383), Warszawa.). The days with the highest values of the correlation coefficient (R) between amplitudes of both observed parameters characterizing atmosphere electric activity are shown. The seasonal changes of R, I_RS and E_0Z are also presented.     

Influence of the atmospheric conditions on PM<Subscript>10</Subscript> concentrations in Poznań, Poland

This study investigates atmospheric conditions’ influence on the mean and extreme characteristics of PM₁₀ concentrations in Poznań during the period 2006–2013. A correlation analysis was carried out to identify the most important meteorological variables influencing the seasonal dynamics of PM₁₀ concentrations. The highest absolute correlation values were obtained for planetary boundary layer height (r = ?0.57), thermal (daily minimum air temperature: r = ?0.51), anemological (average daily wind speed: r = ?0.37), and pluvial (precipitation occurrence: r = ?0.36) conditions, however the highest correlations were observed for temporal autocorrelations (1 day lag: r = 0.70). As regulated by law, extreme events were identified on the basis of daily threshold value i.e. 50 μg m^?3. On average, annually there are approximately 71.3 days anywhere in the city when the threshold value is exceeded, 46.6 % of those occur in winter. Additionally, 83.7 % of these cases have been found to be continuous episodes of a few days, with the longest one persisting for 22 days. The analysis of the macro-scale circulation patterns led to the identification of an easy-to-perceive seasonal relations between atmospheric fields that favour the occurrence of high PM₁₀ concentration, as well as synoptic situations contributing to the rapid air quality improvement. The highest PM₁₀ concentrations are a clear reaction to a decrease in air temperature by over 3 °C, with simultaneous lowering of PBL height, mean wind speed (by around 1 m s^?1) and changing dominant wind directions from western to eastern sectors. In most cases, such a situation is related to the expansion of a high pressure system over eastern Europe and weakening of the Icelandic Low. Usually, air quality conditions improve along with an intensification of westerlies associated with the occurrence of low pressure systems over western and central Europe. Opposite relations are distinguishable in summer, when air quality deterioration is related to the inflow of tropical air masses originating over the Sahara desert.     

Modeling and monitoring of mine water rebound in an abandoned coal mine complex: Siersza Mine, Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

A variable-volume, head-dependent mine water filling model (MIFIM) has been utilized to simulate the post-abandonment flooding of the Siersza coal mine in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin of southern Poland. It is demonstrated that desaturated pore space in the aquifer adjacent to the mine comprises a significant component of the resaturable mine-related void. The model results are very sensitive to the value of this poorly constrained parameter. Nevertheless, the model successfully predicted the first appearance of mine water in an observation well and its subsequent rise. Despite this apparent success, it is concluded that such modeling approaches generally lack predictive power for mines in permeable, porous host rocks. As real monitoring data accumulate, however, such models can be calibrated and their utility increased.