Experimental study on the effect of bottomless structure in front of a bottom outlet on a sediment flushing cone

One of the main problems in reservoirs is sedimentation which reduces the operating life of dams if a proper plan and analysis method are not in place.The techniques to manage sediment in reservoirs include several sustainable management techniques that route sediment through or around the reservoir.One of the main economical methods in arid and semi-arid regions is pressurized flushing using moderate drawdown of the water level of the reservoir to evacuate sediment deposited behind dams.In the current study,the effect of a new structure called a dendritic bottomless extended(DBE)outlet structure at three angles of 30°,45°,and 60°
on pressurized flushing efficiency was investigated.Consequently,45 experiments were designed for three discharge rates (Qo),three sediment levels(Hs),four types of structure,and a no-structure condition(reference test).The results indicated that the DBE structure with a 30°angle between the branches,a sedimentary dimensionless index of Hs/Do=4.59,and a flow dimensionless index of Qo=/√gD05=1:43(where g is the acceleration of gravity and Do is the diameter of the bottom outlet)lead to 10-fold increase in the sediment flushing cone dimensions and sediment removal efficiency compared to the results of the reference test.Finally,according to a statistical analysis of the results,a dimensionless equation for calculating the sediment flushing cone dimensions was developed for the tested sediment characteristics.     

Mineral chemical composition and geodynamic significance of peridotites from Nain ophiolite,central Iran

The peridotites from north of the town of Nain in central Iran consist of clinopyroxene-bearing harzburgite and lherzolite with small lenses of dunite and chromitite pods. The lherzolite contains aluminous spinel with a Cr number (Cr^# = Cr/[Cr + Al]) of 0.17. The Cr number of spinels in harzburgite and chromitite is 0.38–0.42 and 0.62, respectively. This shows that the lherzolite and harzburgite resulted from <18% of partial melting of the source materials. The estimated temperature is 1100 ± 200 °C for peridotites, the estimated pressure is <15 ± 2.3 kbar for harzburgites and >16 ± 2.3 kbar for lherzolites and estimated fo₂ is 10^?1±0.5 for peridotites. Discriminant geochemical diagrams based on mineral chemistry of harzburgites indicate a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) to mid-oceanic ridge (MOR) setting for these rocks. On the basis of their Cr^#, the harzburgite and lherzolite spinels are analogous to those from abyssal peridotites and oceanic ophiolites, whereas the chromites in the chromitite (on the basis of Cr^# and boninitic nature of parental melts) resemble those from SSZ ophiolitic sequences. Therefore, the Nain ophiolite complex most likely originated in an oceanic crust related to supra-subduction zone, i.e. back arc basin. Field observations and mineral chemistry of the Nain peridotites, indicating the suture between the central Iran micro-continent (CIM) block and the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone, show that these peridotites mark the site of the Nain–Baft seaway, which opened with a slow rate of ocean-floor spreading behind the Mesozoic arc of the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone as a result of change of Neo Tethyan subduction régime during middle Cretaceous.     

Electron Temperatures and Flow Speeds of the Low Solar Corona: MACS Results from the Total Solar Eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Libya

An experiment was conducted in conjunction with the total solar eclipse on 29 March 2006 in Libya to measure both the electron temperature and its flow speed simultaneously at multiple locations in the low solar corona by measuring the visible K-coronal spectrum. Coronal model spectra incorporating the effects of electron temperature and its flow speed were matched with the measured K-coronal spectra to interpret the observations. Results show electron temperatures of (1.10±0.05) MK, (0.70±0.08) MK, and (0.98±0.12) MK, at 1.1 R _⊙ from Sun center in the solar north, east and west, respectively, and (0.93±0.12) MK, at 1.2 R _⊙ from Sun center in the solar west. The corresponding outflow speeds obtained from the spectral fit are (103±92) km s⁻¹, (0+10) km s⁻¹, (0+10) km s⁻¹, and (0+10) km s⁻¹. Since the observations were taken only at 1.1 R _⊙ and 1.2 R _⊙ from Sun center, these speeds, consistent with zero outflow, are in agreement with expectations and provide additional confirmation that the spectral fitting method is working. The electron temperature at 1.1 R _⊙ from Sun center is larger at the north (polar region) than the east and west (equatorial region).     

Selection of Less Biased Threshold Angles for SAM Classification Using the Real Value–Area Fractal Technique

The accuracy of classification of the Spectral Angle Mapping (SAM) is warranted by choosing the appropriate threshold angles, which are normally defined by the user. Trial‐and‐error and statistical methods are commonly applied to determine threshold angles. In this paper, we discuss a real value–area (RV–A) technique based on the established concentration–area (C–A) fractal model to determine less biased threshold angles for SAM classification of multispectral images. Short wave infrared (SWIR) bands of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images were used over and around the Sar Cheshmeh porphyry Cu deposit and Seridune porphyry Cu prospect. Reference spectra from the known hydrothermal alteration zones in each study area were chosen for producing respective rule images. Segmentation of each rule image resulted in a RV–A curve. Hydrothermal alteration mapping based on threshold values of each RV–A curve showed that the first break in each curve is practical for selection of optimum threshold angles. The hydrothermal alteration maps of the study areas were evaluated by field and laboratory studies including X–ray diffraction analysis, spectral analysis, and thin section study of rock samples. The accuracy of the SAM classification was evaluated by using an error matrix. Overall accuracies of 80.62% and 75.45% were acquired in the Sar Cheshmeh and Seridune areas, respectively. We also used different threshold angles obtained by some statistical techniques to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed RV–A technique. Threshold angles provided by statistical techniques could not enhance the hydrothermal alteration zones around the known deposits, as good as threshold angles obtained by the RV–A technique. Since no arbitrary parameter is defined by the user in the application of the RV‐A technique, its application prevents introduction of human bias to the selection of optimum threshold angle for SAM classification.     

The effect of Newtonian cooling on vertically propagating magneto-acoustic waves in a thermally conducting isothermal atmosphere (II)

In this article, we examine reflection, dissipation and attenuation of vertically propagating waves in an isothermal atmosphere under the combined effect of Newtonian cooling, thermal conduction and viscosity with a weak horizontal magnetic field. We consider the case in which the combined effect of viscosity and magnetic field is dominated by that of the thermal conduction and for small values of the Newtonian parameter. As a result, the atmosphere can be divided into three distinct regions that are connected by two transition regions. The lower and middle regions are connected by a semi-transparent barrier and the middle and upper regions are connected by an absorbing and reflecting barrier. In the connecting barriers the reflection and transmission of the waves takes place. The presence of Newtonian cooling effects on the adiabatic region, produces attenuation in the amplitudes of the waves and reduces the energy absorption in the transition regions. The reflection coefficient is determined in the lower and middle regions and the results are discussed in the context of the heating of the solar atmosphere.     

The impact of land use and land cover changes on soil erosion in western Iran

Natural Hazards - Analysis of long-term land use and land cover (LULC) changes requires up-to-date remotely sensed data to assess their effects on erosion. This is a particularly important...     

Prediction of Rock Abrasivity Index (RAI) and Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of Granite Building Stones Using Nondestructive Tests

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Rock abrasivity index (RAI) and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) are two key parameters for assessing abrasivity and durability of building stones,...     

Contribution of atmospheric processes to the degradation of air quality: case study (Sohar Industrial Area,Oman)

The impact of the air pollution generated by any industrial activities may be further aggravated if the location of the industrial area is exposed to certain atmospheric characteristics. Under such conditions, the likelihood of accumulation of local air pollution is high. This paper uses two approaches (statistical and numerical simulation) to investigate the contribution of atmospheric processes towards degradation of air quality. A case study of the two approaches was conducted over Sohar Industrial Area in the Sultanate of Oman. Measured wind data were used to account for specific atmospheric characteristics such as stagnation, ventilation, and recirculation using the statistical approach. In the second approach, numerical weather prediction model was used to simulate mesoscale circulation phenomena such as sea breeze and its contribution to the processes affecting the air quality. The study demonstrates that the atmospheric processes appear to contribute substantially to the degradation of air quality in the Sohar Industrial Area. The statistical analysis shows that the atmospheric dilution potential of Sohar Industrial Area is prone to stagnation and recirculation, rather than ventilation. Moreover, model simulation shows that there is a seasonal variation in the contribution of atmospheric processes to the degradation of the air quality at Sohar Industrial Area.     

Beating words to life: subtitles,assemblage(s)capes,expression

Ostensibly, subtitles in films serve as linguistic approximations of meaning. Expectedly then, much of the debate surrounding subtitling has been concerned with representational accuracy, fidelity and authenticity. In this article I argue that by encountering subtitles as affective bodily expressions, as opposed to approximate representations of pre-existent meanings or intentions, filmic experiences may be(come) transformed and differently transformational. As a result, meaning and accuracy in subtitles as superimposed signifiers or static representations become secondary to subtitles as spatially affective- and expressive-movements intimately part of filmic scapes. The creative use of subtitling in Bekmambetov’s Russian language film Night Watch (Nochnoy dozor; 2006 [2004]) is discussed.