A nonlinear macroelement model for the seismic analysis of masonry buildings

The macroelement technique for modelling the nonlinear response of masonry panels is particularly efficient and suitable for the analysis of the seismic behaviour of complex walls and buildings. The paper presents a macroelement model specifically developed for simulating the cyclic in‐plane response of masonry walls, with possible applications in nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of masonry structures. The model, starting from a previously developed macroelement model, has been refined in the representation of flexural–rocking and shear damage modes, and it is capable of fairly simulating the experimental response of cyclic tests performed on masonry piers. By means of two internal degrees of freedom, the two‐node macroelement permits to represent the coupling of axial and flexural response as well as the interaction of shear and flexural damage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time dependence of negative buoyancy and the subduction of continental lithosphere

The time evolution of negative buoyancy of a subducting slab is modelled from the beginning of subduction under various kinematic conditions (dip angle and subduction velocity). The calculations take into account the thermal and density effects of the variations of the thermophysical parameters with temperature and pressure, and of phase transitions. The magnitude of the negative buoyancy increases during subduction of oceanic lithosphere, up to values in the (2–4) × 10¹³ N m⁻¹ range when the tip of the slab reaches a depth of 600–700 km. If continental material arrives at the trench and is subducted, the downward buoyancy decreases by an amount proportional to the volume of the subducted continental crust. Assuming that subduction stops when the buoyancy becomes zero, and that delamination of the continental crust or slab breakoff do not occur, the maximum downdip length of the subductable continental crust is estimated as a function of the dip angle, subduction velocity and geometry of the margin. In most cases, subduction of continental material down to depths of 100–250 km is possible, and continental subduction can continue for times up to 10–15 Ma if the velocity is low. These estimates are not significantly affected by the hypothetical occurrence of a metastable olivine wedge within the slab, and could be lower bounds if the lower continental crust is mafic and transforms to eclogite.     

Diagenetic evolution of Aptian evaporites in the Namibe Basin (south‐west Angola)

The widespread and dissected nature of the Angolan gypsiferous salt residuals offers a uniquely detailed view of the lateral and vertical relations inherent to secondary evaporite textures, which typify exhumed salt masses worldwide. Such secondary textures are sometimes misinterpreted as primary evaporite textures. Thin, metre‐scale and patchy, dome‐like gypsum accumulations are well‐exposed within strongly incised present‐day river valleys along the eastern margin of the Namibe and Benguela basins (south‐west Angola). These sections are time equivalent to the main basinward subsurface evaporites (Aptian Loeme Formation) which mostly consist of halite. The gypsum (here called the Bambata Formation) is interpreted to represent the final residual product of fractional dissolution and recrystallization of the halite mass that occurred during Late Cretaceous margin uplift and continues today. This halite underwent multiple episodes of diagenetic alteration between its deposition and its final exhumation, leading to the formation of various secondary gypsum fabrics and solution‐related karst and breccia textures that typify the current evaporite outcrop. Four different diagenetic gypsum fabrics are defined: thinly bedded alabastrine, nodular alabastrine, displacive selenite rosettes and fibrous satin‐spar gypsum. Current arid conditions are responsible for a thin weathered crust developed at the top of the outcropping gypsum, but the fabrics in the main core of the current at‐surface evaporite unit mostly formed during the telogenetic stage of uplift prior to complete subaerial exposure. Alteration occurred as various dissolving and rehydrating saline minerals encountered shallow aquifers in the active phreatic and vadose zones. Geomorphological and petrographic analyses, mostly based on the cross‐cutting relations and crystallographic patterns in the outcrop, are used to propose a sequence of formation of these different fabrics.     

Ecological quality assessment of small estuaries from the Portuguese coast based on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages indices

Benthic macroinvertebrates communities are the most consistently emphasized biotic component of aquatic ecosystems and are one of the biological indicators required for assessment by the European Water Framework Directive. In this context, several indices based on these communities have been developed in order to assess ecological quality of estuarine systems. In the present work we used AMBI, M-AMBI, BENTIX and BAT to distinguish ecological status of five small estuarine systems of the Portuguese south and southwest coasts. Although indices outputs did not differ between systems and sampling seasons, results indicated that the metrics in which these indices are based could differentiate community structures as a result of two main gradients that force these communities: the natural variability, and the anthropogenic impact.     

Characterisation of Soot Emitted by Domestic Heating,Aircraft and Cars Using Diesel or Biodiesel

The characterisation of aggregates, like soot, firstly requires the determination of the size distribution of the primary particles. The primary particle size of combustion generated aggregates depends upon the combustion environment and the formation conditions, such as temperature, pressure and fuel-to-air ratio, among others. Since the combustion characteristics are different in the different types of burners, the characterisation of primary particles may offer the possibility to distinguish soot from different sources. In this paper, we present the signature of the primary particles and the aggregates of soot emitted by cars using diesel or biodiesel, by domestic heating, and by aircraft exhausts, which can be considered as the major sources as derived from measurements on transmission electron micrographs. The size distributions of all aggregates types with different aerodynamic diameter were log-normal and quasi-monodisperse. The size distribution of the primary particles for soot emitted by different sources showed minor differences. However, a comparison between the diameter of the primary particles and those obtained using a standard method for carbon black revealed discrepancies. The median diameter of the primary particles was combined with the median number of primary particles in an aggregate to calculate the relative particle surface area available for adsorption. In a similar way, the relative specific surface area was determined. The surface area was measured using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (B.E.T.) nitrogen adsorption method and the relative surface area available for adsorption was calculated.     

Dolomitic marbles and associated calc-silicates, Tandilia belt, Argentina: Geothermobarometry, metamorphic evolution, and P–T path

The metamorphic evolution of dolomitic marbles and associated calc-silicate rocks from Punta Tota (NE Tandilia belt, Buenos Aires province, Argentina) has been evaluated through petrographic, geothermobarometric, and fluid inclusion studies. Thin beds of dolomitic marble are intercalated in amphibolites and constitute the upper part of a stratified basement sequence, which starts at the base with garnet migmatites showing a great abundance of pegmatitic segregates, overlain by biotite–garnet gneisses. Peak metamorphic conditions are estimated at 750–800 °C and 5–6 kb, followed by near isobaric cooling to about 500–450 °C and 5.5–6.5 kb. Anhydrous progressive metamorphic assemblages in both marbles (Fo + Cal + Dol + Cpx + Spl) and adjacent calc-silicate rocks (Cpx + An + Cal + Qtz) strongly retrogressed to hydrous minerals (Tr, Tlc, Grs, Czo, Srp) with decreasing temperatures and increasing water activities. The intense rehydration of the rocks relates to the emplacement of volatile-rich pegmatitic bodies (Qtz + Pl + Kfs + Bt + Grt), which also resulted in the crystallization of clinochlore + phlogopite in the marble and biotite + muscovite in the adjacent calc-silicate rocks. Metamorphic reactions based on textural relations and evaluated on a suitable petrogenetic grid, combined with geothermobarometric results and fluid inclusion isochores, indicate a metamorphic evolution along a counterclockwise P–T path. Two probable geotectonic settings for the determined P–T trajectory are proposed: (1) thinning of the crust and overlying supracrustal basin in an ensialic intraplate tectonic setting and (2) development of a marginal back-arc basin, associated with an oceanic–continental convergent plate margin. In both models, the initial extensional regime is followed by a compressional stage, with overthickening of the basement and supracrustal rocks, during the climax of the Transamazonian cycle at approximately 1800 Ma ago. Continuous convergence and blockage of structures produce transition to transcurrent tectonics (transpression) with a consequent moderate uplift.     

Francisco José de Caldas's Unaccomplished Life-Project – His Map Provincias Unidas de la Nueva Granada, 1811/ 1815

The first attempted republican map of present-day Colombia remained unachieved. Francisco José de Caldas worked on it since 1797 and, come the revolution and Nueva Granada's republican inception, he prepared two successive cartouches to introduce it: the first one in 1811, the latter in 1815. Finally entitled Provincias de la Nueva Granada, Caldas's map remains understudied. In this article, I establish its basic cartographic parameters, discuss the political context of its unfinished making and link it to its pertinent cartographic precedents.     

Mapping conservation priorities and connectivity pathways under climate change for tropical ecosystems

Climate change and land use conversion are global threats to biodiversity. Protected areas and biological corridors have been historically implemented as biodiversity conservation measures and suggested as tools within planning frameworks to respond to climate change. However, few applications to national protected areas systems considering climate change in tropical countries exist. Our goal is to define new priority areas for biodiversity conservation and biological corridors within an existing protected areas network. We aim at preserving samples of all biodiversity under climate change and facilitate species dispersal to reduce the vulnerability of biodiversity. The analysis was based on a three step strategy: i) protect representative samples of various levels of terrestrial biodiversity across protected area systems given future redistributions under climate change, ii) identify and protect areas with reduced climate velocities where populations could persist for relatively longer periods, and iii) ensure species dispersal between conservation areas through climatic connectivity pathways. The study was integrated into a participatory planning approach for biodiversity conservation in Costa Rica. Results showed that there should be an increase of 11 % and 5 % on new conservation areas and biological corridors respectively. Our approach integrates climate change into the design of a network of protected areas for tropical ecosystems and can be applied to other biodiversity rich areas to reduce the vulnerability of biodiversity to global warming.     

Recent trends in annual snowline variations in the northern wet outer tropics: case studies from southern Cordillera Blanca,Peru

TL-moments approach has been used in an analysis to identify the best-fitting distributions to represent the annual series of maximum streamflow data over seven stations in Johor, Malaysia. The TL-moments with different trimming values are used to estimate the parameter of the selected distributions namely: Three-parameter lognormal (LN3) and Pearson Type III (P3) distribution. The main objective of this study is to derive the TL-moments (t ₁,0), t ₁?=?1,2,3,4 methods for LN3 and P3 distributions. The performance of TL-moments (t ₁,0), t ₁?=?1,2,3,4 was compared with L-moments through Monte Carlo simulation and streamflow data over a station in Johor, Malaysia. The absolute error is used to test the influence of TL-moments methods on estimated probability distribution functions. From the cases in this study, the results show that TL-moments with four trimmed smallest values from the conceptual sample (TL-moments [4, 0]) of LN3 distribution was the most appropriate in most of the stations of the annual maximum streamflow series in Johor, Malaysia.