Development of an innovative seismic strengthening technique for traditional load-bearing masonry walls

Traditional non-reinforced masonry walls are particularly prone to failure when subjected to out-of-plane loads and displacements caused by earthquakes. Moreover, singularities such as openings in fa?ades may trigger local collapse, for either in-plane or out-of plane motion. Bearing in mind all the former limitations, STAP, with the scientific support of ICIST and LNEC, has been developing a reduced intrusiveness seismic strengthening methodology for traditional masonry structures. The technique consists in externally applying Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) composite strips to one or both faces of walls. Connection between GFRP composite strips and masonry substrate is enhanced through specifically detailed anchorages or confinement connectors. This technique has been developed and studied through an extensive series of experimental tests, which are briefly reviewed. This paper focuses more deeply on the latest experimental program, aimed at the characterization of the masonry-GFRP composite interface behaviour. This testing program comprised 29 masonry specimens, strengthened with externally bonded GFRP composite strips with anchorages. The testing variables were the number and spacing of anchorages as well as the loading history type: monotonic or repeated. Results clearly show that the use of anchorages dramatically enhances bond behaviour and that its number and spacing have a significant effect on deformation capacity and a less pronounced effect on strength. Based on experimental evidence, this paper also provides a calculation model and ULS safety assessment procedure for out-of-plane strength of reinforced masonry walls. This calculation model leads to interaction curves on strengthened masonry walls subjected to compression and out-of-plane flexure.     

Palaeomagnetic data from Ediacaran (Vendian) sediments of the Arkhangelsk region, NW Russia: An alternative apparent polar wander path of Baltica for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic

The study area is situated along the Zolotica river in NW Russia, located within the Kola–Dvyna Rift System in the Baltic Shield that developed during Meso and Neoproterozoic times. A 9-m thick section made up of shallow marine sediments of Upper Ediacaran age was sampled in this locality. Two volcaniclastic levels from the middle part of the section yielded an age of 556 Ma. (U/Pb SHRIMP-II on zircons). Two magnetic components were successfully isolated, component A (Decl = 157.1, Incl = 68.0, ₉₅ = 1.9°, N = 575 in situ) carried by magnetite and component B (Decl = 120.3, Incl = − 31.7, ₉₅ = 3.9°, N = 57, bedding corrected), carried by haematite. While component A is thought to represent a younger overprint direction, the in situ direction for component B on the other hand, is dissimilar to any expected younger direction and is considered to be primary magnetisation in origin, acquired during or soon after deposition of the sediments in the Late Ediacaran. The corresponding palaeomagnetic pole for component A in situ is located at Lon = 55.4°E, Lat = 31°N, A₉₅ = 2.7° and for component B at Lon = 110°E, Lat = 28.3°S, A₉₅ = 3.8°, N = 57. Combined with other palaeomagnetic poles of the same tectonostratigraphic unit an alternative apparent polar wander path for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic of Baltica is proposed. Such an alternative path shows that after the mid Cryogenian (750 Ma), the poles that were situated over South Africa (p.d.c.) moved to the east until they reached Australia during the Late Ediacaran (555 Ma) where they remained approximately stationary until the beginning of the Cambrian (545 Ma). Finally, they moved to the northwest until they reached the Arabian Peninsula in the Early Ordovician. Palaeolatitudes indicate that Baltica situated near the equator from the Cryogenian through to the Ediacaran moving gradually to the south at c. 1 cm/yr. During the Late Early Ediacaran, the plate suddenly began to drift northward at c. 8 cm/yr and in the boundary with the Cambrian it was positioned in low to intermediate latitudes. Finally, Baltica began to move back to the south at c. 13 cm/yr until in the Early Ordovician, reaching intermediate to high southern latitudes.     

Thermospheric Meridional Wind Control on Equatorial Scintillations and the Role of the Evening F-Region Height Rise, E?×?B Drift Velocities and F2-Peak Density Gradients

The possible role, on L-band scintillation activity, played by the nighttime magnetic meridional component of the thermospheric horizontal neutral winds, the post-sunset F-layer base height, the electrical field pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) and the latitudinal gradients of the F2-layer peak density is analyzed, considering different cases of scintillation occurrence (and their latitudinal extent) during August and September 2002. The meridional winds were derived over low-latitudes from a modified form of the nonlinear time-dependent servo-model. A chain of two scintillation monitors and three digital ionosondes was operational in Brazil and used to collect, respectively, global positioning system signal amplitude scintillation and ionospheric height (h′F; hpF2) and frequency (foF2) parameters. From the overall behavior in the 2 months analyzed, the results suggest that high near sunset upward vertical plasma drifts are conducive for the generation of spread-F irregularities, whereas large poleward meridional winds tend to suppress the development of plasma bubble irregularities and the occurrence of their associated scintillations. Even when generated, a reduced fountain effect, due to weak electric field PRE, acts for the bubbles to be expanded less effectively to higher latitudes. The results also reveal that high F-layer base and peak heights (at equatorial and off-equatorial latitudes), and intense gradients in the F2-peak density between the dip equator and the equatorial anomaly crests, are favorable conditions for the generation of F-region irregularities and increased scintillation activity. Other distinct features of the controlling factors in the cases of occurrence and non-occurrence of equatorial scintillations are presented and discussed.     

Decadal-scale changes in suspended wood after riparian recruitment in managed stands in headwater streams of coastal British Columbia,Canada

Large wood (LW) affects several ecological and hydrogeomorphic processes in streams. The main source of LW is riparian trees falling inside channels. However, in confined valley floors, falling trees are more likely to be suspended above the channel. Eventually, these suspended trees will decompose and break to finally fall into the channel to better provide functions for streams. We evaluated changes in wood decay, length, diameter, and suspended status (suspended or non-suspended) 17 years post-harvest and nine years after the first sampling occurred in 2006 in 12 headwater streams of coastal British Columbia, Canada. We also evaluated whether changes differed among riparian management treatments (no-harvest buffers of 10 and 30 m in width, thinning, and unharvested reference sites), and identified the factors affecting wood changes and suspended status. Wood pieces advanced in decay, became shorter, and 34% of them (n = 108) changed status from suspended to non-suspended. Non-suspended wood pieces were more decayed and shorter than suspended wood. Suspended wood was longer, thicker, less decayed, and represented 46.5% (n = 147) of the wood sampled in 2006. Our findings revealed limited influences of riparian management on many aspects of wood changes considered in this study. Changes in wood characteristics were more likely for pieces that were smaller in diameter, longer, and suspended closer to the water. The transition from suspended to non-suspended LW can be a long-term process that can increase wood residence time and reduce LW in-stream functions particularly in confined stream valleys. The suspended stage is also an important mechanism underlying time lags in stream ecosystem responses to riparian tree fall. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does the CDM discourage emission reduction targets in advanced developing countries?

Under the Kyoto Protocol, developing countries can voluntarily participate in climate change mitigation through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), in which industrialized countries, in order to meet their mitigation commitments, can buy emission reduction credits from projects in developing countries. Before its implementation, developing-country experts opposed the CDM, arguing that it would sell-off their countries’ cheapest emission reduction options and force them to invest in more expensive measures to meet their future reduction targets. This ‘low-hanging fruit’ argument is analysed empirically by comparing marginal abatement cost curves. Emissions abatement costs and potentials for CDM projects are estimated for different technologies in eight countries, using capital budgeting tools and information from project documentation. It is found that the CDM is not yet capturing a large portion of the identified abatement potential in most countries. Although the costs of most emissions reduction opportunities grasped are below the average credit price, there are still plenty of available low-cost opportunities. Mexico and Argentina appear to use the CDM predominantly for harvesting the low-hanging fruit, whereas in the other countries more expensive projects are accessing the CDM. This evidence at first sight challenges the low-hanging fruit claim, but needs to be understood in the light of the barriers for the adoption of low-cost abatement options.     

Anurans from the Candeleros Formation (?Cenomanian-Turonian) of west-central Argentina: new evidence for pipoid evolution

The fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the ?Cenomanian-Turonian Candeleros Formation in the northwestern fringe of Patagonia have yielded numerous remains of vertebrates, including anurans. A new, partially articulated immature specimen of a small pipimorph pipoid from the upper part of this unit is described herein. Although incompletely preserved, the morphology and proportions of the skeleton are strongly reminiscent of corresponding elements of the holotype of Avitabatrachus uliana from the lower section of the same formation at a nearby locality, thus suggesting that these specimens might represent the same, or a closely related, taxon. The new specimen is a metamorphosing individual: it has a zygapophyseal articulation between the sacrum and the neural arch of a postsacral vertebra that bears conspicuous transverse processes, and four pairs of ribs. These traits are not present in the available material of A. uliana, but they might have occurred within the normal range of variation of a single species. Although the generic and specific allocation of the new material is uncertain, a parsimony analysis performed to clarify the relationships of A. uliana supports a phylogenetic placement of this taxon outside the crown Pipidae. The evidence provided by the Candeleros anurans confirms the presence of stem pipids in Patagonia in the early Late Cretaceous.     

Glass and Mineral Chemistry of Northern Central Indian Ridge Basalts:Compositional Diversity and Petrogenetic Significance

Abstract: The glass and mineral chemistry of basalts examined from the northern central Indian ridge (NCIR) provides an insight into magma genesis around the vicinity of two transform faults: Vityaz (VT) and Vema (VM). The studied mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) from the outer ridge flank (VT area) and a near-ridge seamount (VM area) reveal that they are moderately phyric plagioclase basalts composed of plagioclase (phenocryst [An60–90] and groundmass [An35–79]), olivine (Fo81–88), diopside (Wo45–51, En25–37, Fs14–24), and titanomagnetite (FeOt ~63.75 wt% and TiO2 ~22.69 wt%). The whole-rock composition of these basalts has similar Mg# [mole Mg/mole(Mg+Fe2+)] (VT basalt: ~0.56–0.58; VM basalt: ~0.57), but differ in their total alkali content (VT basalt: ~2.65; VM basalt: ~3.24). The bulk composition of the magma was gradually depleted in MgO and enriched in FeOt, TiO2, P2O5, and Na2O with progressive fractionation, the basalts were gradually enriched in Y and Zr and depleted in Ni and Cr. In addition, the SREE of magma also increased with fractionation, without any change in the (La/Yb)N value. Glass from the VM seamount shows more fractionated characters (Mg#: 0.56–0.57) compared to the outer ridge flank lava of the VT area (Mg#: 0.63–0.65). This study concludes that present basalts experienced low-pressure crystallization at a relatively shallow depth. The geochemical changes in the NCIR magmas resulted from fractional crystallization at a shallow depth. As a consequence, spinel was the first mineral to crystallize at a pressure >10 kbar, followed by Fe-rich olivine at <10 kbar pressure.     

Forecasting annual precipitation to improve the operation of dams in the Comahue region,Argentina

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to design statistical models to forecast annual precipitation in the Neuquen and Limay river basins in the Comahue region of Argentina. These forecasts are especially useful as they are used to better organize the operation of hydro-electric dams, the agriculture in irrigated valleys and the safety of the population. In this work, multiple linear regression statistical models are built to forecast mean annual rainfall over the two river basins. Since the maximum precipitation occurs in the winter (June–August), forecasting models have been developed for the beginning of March and for the beginning of June, just before the rainy season starts. The results show that the sea-surface temperatures of the Indian and Pacific oceans are good predictors for March models and explain 42.8% of the precipitation index variance. The efficiency of the models increases in June, adding more predictors related to the autumn circulation.     

Chemical composition and stable carbon isotopic ratios of crude oils from Southern Germany

Thirty crude oils were sampled in the South German Molasse Basin. The crude oils were chemically separated into five component groups and their stable carbon isotopic ratios were determined by mass spectrometry. A distinct differentiation of four regionally connected groups can be inferred from the results of the δ¹³C values and chemical analyses. This grouping is in accordance with the present geologic information on the origin of crude oils in the Molasse Basin.The chemistry of crude oils seems to have been influenced by secondary processes in the eastern part of the Molasse Basin.