Evening and Morning Transition of Katabatic Flows

An experimental investigation of the evening and morning transition phases of katabatic slope flows has been conducted to identify the mechanisms for their development and destruction over an isolated slope. The momentum and energy equations of the flow have been used to describe these mechanisms for the particular topographic features of the studied slope, and to outline the differences from the dynamics of well-developed simple slope flows. In the lowest portion of the slope, frontal characteristics have been identified in early evening periods when the local pre-existing near-surface thermal structure does not impose a katabatic acceleration. The frontal shape is determined by the near-surface thermal stability and ambient wind. The flow initiation is distinctly different when it is linked to the local surface cooling, in which case it develops gradually and produces a slight local warming.The erosion of the katabatic layer at mid-slope precedes that at the foot and is closely linked to dilution of the local surface inversion. The flow erosion at the foot is often delayed, as the warming of air proceeds uniformly at all heights near the ground, so maintaining the inversion due to warming produced by mixing and advective processes linked to the upslope flow development. The latter initiates first at mid-slope and then at the foot, where for a non-negligible time period it flows over the persistent katabatic flow. The prerequisite for the development of this structure is the maintenance of a shallow inversion in the first 2–3 m above the ground surface.The morning dilution of the katabatic flow is apparently different from common experience over simple slopes and may be attributed to the steep upper portion of the slope in association with its easterly orientation, which results in strong non-uniformity of the solar heating along the slope.     

Report on the dynamical evolution of an axially symmetric quasar model

The role of the angular momentum in the regular or chaotic character of motion in an axially symmetric quasar model is examined. It is found that, for a given value of the critical angular momentumL _zc , there are two values of the mass of the nucleusM _n for which transition from regular to chaotic motion occurs. The [L _zc – M _n ] relationship shows a linear dependence for the time independent model and an exponential dependence for the evolving model. Both cases are explained using theoretical arguments together with some numerical evidence. The evolution of the orbits is studied, as mass is transported from the disk to the nucleus. The results are compared with the outcomes derived for galactic models with massive nuclei.     

Assessment of freely available DSMs for automatic karst feature detection

The purpose of this work is to present the detection and qualification of natural karst depressions in southern Ksiromero, SW Aitoloakarnania Prefecture, Western Greece, by the use of freely available digital surface model (DSM) data in line with the geographical information systems—GIS. The study area is a part of the Ionian geotectonic zone whose geological background consists of the Triassic evaporates and Triassic carbonate breccias. The after-Triassic carbonate series, which consist of the Jurassic limestones, the Cretaceous limestones and the Eocene limestones, are also presented in the study area. Several DSMs such as ASTER GDEM, SRTM DEM, ALOS Global DSM, and a DSM generated from Sentinel-1 data were evaluated so as to be used for the automatic karst detection. Furthermore, a karst detection procedure applied on DSMs was performed with the aid of analogue and digital air photos. Additionally, the aforementioned procedure was applied also on DEM with the aid of digitized contours referring to topographic maps characterized by a scale of 1/50,000. All the detected features have been also validated via in situ observations. Finally, all DSMs presented herein are characterized by similar percentage of success in terms of automatic karst detection, regardless their spatial resolution and height accuracy. Their rate varies from 66 to 73%.     

Finite Element Analyses and Experimental Investigation of Helical Micropiles

Within the framework of a research program on the behaviour of a specific type of screw micropile with helical plates of 220 mm diameter, the response in axial and horizontal loadings by the finite element method and full scale in situ tests were investigated. For the axial compressive or tensile loads, the simulation of the helical plates was carried out under axisymmetric conditions as shell foundations. The cases of purely cohesive or cohesionless soils with linear elastic–perfectly plastic behaviour were studied. The influence of shear strength parameters and the number of helical plates on the characteristic-ultimate resistance were also analyzed. For the horizontal loads 3D F.E. programs were applied for the analyses of the micropiles either as short or long ones. The in situ tests, which are presented in this article, were performed in two areas with representative subsoil conditions. The respective predictions from the F.E. method were based on results of geotechnical investigations and compared with the results of the in situ tests. A good approximation was ascertained, especially for uplift and horizontal loads and the differences were commented.     

Application of the Multiple Benchmark System (MBS) to selected case study projects

Abstract

Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have been established under the Kyoto Protocol as project-based instruments to mitigate greenhouse gases of the industrialized countries to the levels imposed by their Kyoto commitments. An unresolved issue associated with the implementation of these two flexibility mechanisms, concerns the choice of the appropriate baseline for calculating the emission reductions in JI or CDM projects. This article describes a computerized tool that constructs and compares different types of standardized baselines and benchmarks. The analysis focuses on the suitability of several different types of benchmarks for assessing the emission reductions of certain types of projects. The analysis is also expanded into a discussion of the extent to which benchmarks reduce the crediting of non-additional projects and limit the risk of missed additional investments. This tool has been applied to actual JI and CDM projects in the Russian Federation and Indonesia.     

Olive-oil mill wastewater transport under unsaturated and saturated laboratory conditions using the geoelectrical resistivity tomography method and the FEFLOW model

An integrated approach for monitoring the vertical transport of a solute into the subsurface by using a geophysical method and a simulation model is proposed and evaluated. A medium-scale (1 m³) laboratory tank experiment was constructed to represent a real subsurface system, where an olive-oil mill wastewater (OOMW) spill might occur. High-resolution cross-hole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was performed to monitor the OOMW transport. Time-lapse ERT images defined the spatial geometry of the interface between the contaminated and uncontaminated soil into the unsaturated and saturated zones. Knowing the subsurface characteristics, the finite element flow and transport model FEFLOW was used for simulating the contaminant movement, utilizing the ERT results as a surrogate for concentration measurements for the calibration process. A statistical analysis of the ERT measurements and the corresponding transport model results for various time steps showed a good agreement between them. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of the most important parameters of the simulation model (unsaturated flow, saturated flow and transport) was performed. This laboratory-scale study emphasizes that the combined use of geophysical and transport-modeling approaches can be useful for small-scale field applications where contaminant concentration measurements are scarce, provided that its transferability from laboratory to field conditions is investigated thoroughly.     

Assessment of rural community and agricultural development using geomorphological–geological factors and GIS in the Trikala prefecture (Central Greece)

In this study, the potential land use planning for rural communities and agricultural development is examined with a multi-criteria analysis and Geographical Information System. For this purpose, geological, geomorphological and socio-economic data and natural hazard maps were chosen as major factors affecting both land uses. The Analytical Hierarchical Process method was applied to evaluate these factors and the uncertainty of their weight alterations estimated. Three scenarios were developed for each land use to examine the effect of uncertainty to the suitability assessment results, leading to the corresponding potential suitability maps. The areas of very high suitability are distributed mainly at the plain part of the study area. The proposed methodology comprises a case application concerning physical factors in conjunction with natural hazard maps in the land use planning procedure.     

Geochemistry of surface sediments and heavy metal contamination assessment: Messolonghi lagoon complex,Greece

The Messolonghi lagoon complex in Western Greece receives agricultural and domestic effluents both from point and diffused sources. Surface sediments were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total sulfur, major and minor elements, aiming at the identification of geochemical relationships between all variables. Enrichment factors and the modified degree of contamination methods were applied to assess potential heavy metal enrichment related to human activities. Sediment texture was highly variable, with muddy sediments prevailing. In the central sector of the Messolonghi lagoon, organic carbon contents were high. Principal factor analysis revealed the following main groups of variables with common geochemical behavior: (1) terrigenous aluminosilicates (2) organic matter, (3) biogenic carbonates, (4) mineral quartz-aluminosilicates, and (5) Mn-oxides. Enrichment factors estimated for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb using local pre-industrial sediment showed that all metals exhibit almost natural background levels, except for Pb, which was found to be slightly elevated (legacy of leaded fuel). Estimation of contamination factors concluded in similar results, whereas the overall modified degree of contamination was at the lowest level, therefore suggesting that this transitional water body has not been affected by anthropogenic activities. The data set may be considered as a baseline for future monitoring projects according to EU policy.     

Potential suitability for urban planning and industry development using natural hazard maps and geological–geomorphological parameters

During the planning of an urban environment, usually only economic and social parameters are taken into account. As a result, urban areas are susceptible to natural disasters, which cause extensive damages in them, because the cities or towns have been repeatedly located in vulnerable areas. In this study, for the protection of human environment, is proposed a unique approach of urban planning and sustainable development. The study area is Trikala Prefecture (Western Thessaly, Central Greece). An integrated evaluation of the suitable areas for urban growth and light industry development is proposed by using mainly natural hazards as well as geological–geomorphological–geographical characteristics of the study area. The used parameters were correlated by using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method and incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) in order to produce the corresponding suitability maps. The study area is classified in five categories of very high, high, moderate, low, and very low suitability for urban growth and industrial development. Moreover, the spatio-temporal changes of the urban limits are studied since 1885 for the three major towns (Trikala, Kalambaka and Pyli) of the study area. These changes sketch out the urban growth trend. The comparison between the urban growth trend with the potential suitability for urban growth and industrial development of these towns lead to discrepancies. These can be attributed mainly to the fact that in the majority of cases, only geographical, social, and economical factors were used for urban development, whereas in our study, natural hazards, geomorphological, and geographical parameters were quantified and taken into account.     

Spectral assessment of isostatic gravity models against CHAMP,GRACE, GOCE satellite-only and combined gravity models

The availability of digital elevation databases representing the topographic and bathymetric relief with global homogeneous coverage and increasing resolution permits the computation of crust-related Earth gravity models, the so-called topographic/isostatic Earth gravity models (henceforth T/I models). Although expressing the spherical harmonic content of the topographic masses, the interpretation purpose of T/I models has not been given the attention it deserves, apart from the fact that they express some degree of compensation to the observed spectrum of the topographic heights, depending on the kind of the applied compensation mechanism. The present contribution attempts to improve the interpretation aspects of T/I Earth gravity models. To this end, a rigorous spectral assessment is performed to a standard Airy/Heiskanen T/I model against different CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP), Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), Gravity field and steadystate Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite-only, and combined gravity models. Different correlation bandwidths emerge for these four groups of satellite-based gravity models. The band-limited forward computation of the models using these bandwidths reproduces nicely the main features of the applied T/I model.