A new formulation for a code-based vertical design spectrum

Consideration of vertical seismic design loads is important for long-span structural systems, short-period structures, and for some nonstructural components in the buildings. To this end, seismic design codes utilize alternative approaches to define vertical design spectrum at different levels of complexity: either as a fraction of horizontal design spectrum or using a separate functional form having features different than the horizontal spectrum. In all cases, a consistency between the horizontal and vertical design spectral ordinates is sought. In this paper, we consider a set of modern seismic design codes, horizontal and vertical ground-motion datasets, as well as ground-motion predictive models (GMPMs) to assess the accuracy of code-based vertical design spectrum expressions. We compute horizontal and vertical spectra for different earthquake scenarios (magnitude-distance-soil condition combinations) from the selected horizontal and vertical GMPMs for comparisons with their code-based (idealized) counterparts. Besides that, we study the vertical spectrum behavior from observed ground-motion data. Our observations suggest that the vertical design spectrum formulations by current codes do not fully explain the actual vertical spectral acceleration trends. We discuss the possible reasons behind the misrepresentation of vertical spectrum by the current code approach and introduce our own expressions to compute horizontal spectrum consistent vertical design spectrum from a comprehensive simulated dataset of correlated vertical and horizontal spectral ordinates.     

Ground-motion characterization for the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment in Turkey

This study describes the methodology implemented to establish the ground-motion logic-tree for national probabilistic seismic hazard map of Turkey for shallow active crustal regions. The presented procedure provides quantitative information to guide the hazard experts while establishing the logic tree to capture the epistemic uncertainty in ground-motion characterization. It uses non-data-driven and data-driven testing methods to identify and rank candidate ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) under a specific ground-motion database. The candidate GMPEs are subjected to visual inspection and are classified into center, body and range (CBR) spectral estimates for a proper consideration of epistemic uncertainty. The GMPEs classified into CBR are then used in a suite of seismic hazard sensitivity analysis to establish the most suitable GMPE logic-tree whose spectral estimates are not biased by any one of the GMPEs in the logic-tree structure. The sensitivity analysis considers normalized spectral ordinates and is not manipulated by the spectral amplitudes. The proposed procedure is inherited from the relevant studies of the Earthquake Model of the Middle East (EMME; www.efehr.org:8080/jetspeed/portal/emme.psml) regional seismic hazard project. This paper also highlights the similarities and differences in ground-motion characterization between EMME and our approach.     

Patterns of fragmentation and identification of possible corridors in North Western Ghats

Fragmentation leads to the loss of connectivity among forested landscapes, which is important for biological conservation and biodiversity maintenance. Fragmentation analysis carried out on 20 years time interval in northern-Western Ghats revealed that, losses under moderate and high fragmented forests have decreased from 1985–87 to 2005; however, it is not enough to compensate the loss of intact forests (not fragmented). The area of dense forests in intact forests has decreased from 1985–87 to 2005, this essentially means the loss of quality habitat in the area. While investigating connectivity between fragmented patches by taking different topographical and ecological parameters into the consideration, it was observed that potential connectivity exists between protected areas present in northern and southern areas.     

On the link between extreme floods and excess monsoon epochs in South Asia

This paper provides a synoptic view of extreme monsoon floods on all the nine large rivers of South Asia and their association with the excess (above-normal) monsoon rainfall periods. Annual maximum flood series for 18 gauging stations spread over four countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal) and long-term monsoon rainfall data were analyzed to ascertain whether the extreme floods were clustered in time and whether they coincided with multi-decade excess monsoon rainfall epochs at the basin level. Simple techniques, such as the Cramer’s t-test, regression and Mann–Kendall (MK) tests and Hurst method were used to evaluate the trends and patterns of the flood and rainfall series. MK test reveals absence of any long-term tendency in all the series. However, the Cramer’s t test and Hurst-Mandelbrot rescaled range statistic provide evidence that both rainfall and flood time series are persistent. Using the Cramer’s t-test the excess monsoon epochs for each basin were identified. The excess monsoon periods for different basins were found to be highly asynchronous with respect to duration as well as the beginning and end. Three main conclusions readily emerge from the analyses. Extreme floods (>90th percentile) in South Asia show a tendency to cluster in time. About three-fourth of the extreme floods have occurred during the excess monsoon periods between ~1840 and 2000 AD, implying a noteworthy link between the two. The frequency of large floods was higher during the post-1940 period in general and during three decades (1940s, 1950s and 1980s) in particular.     

Anisotropic bulk viscous cosmological models with particle creation

This paper is devoted to the study of role of particle creation and bulk viscosity on evolution of homogeneous and anisotropic model of the universe represented by Bianchi type I space time metric. Particle creation and bulk viscosity have been considered as separated irreversible processes. In order to discuss physical and geometrical behaviour of the model, a new set of exact solutions of Einstein’s field equation have been obtained in non-causal, truncated and full causal theories. Dynamical behaviours of models have also been discussed.     

Geomorphic Effects of Monsoon Floods on Indian Rivers

The southwest summer monsoon contributesthe bulk of India's rainfall. Consequently,almost all the geomorphic work by the rivers is carried out during the monsoonseason in general and the monsoon floods in particular. Indian rivers arecharacterized by high average flood discharges and large temporal variability. Thereis also significant spatial variation in the magnitude, frequency and power of floods, on account of regional variations in monsoon rainfall, basin characteristics andchannel geometry. As a result, the channel responses and the geomorphic effects also varyspatially. This paper describes the hydrological and geomorphological aspects, as well asthe geomorphic effects of monsoon floods in the Indian rivers. The geomorphic effects of floods are most impressive only in certainareas – the Himalaya, the Thar Desert, and the Indus-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plains. There are numerous instances of flood-induced changes in the channel dimension,position and pattern in these areas. In the Ganga-Brahmaputra Plains, the annualfloods appear to be geomorphologically more effective than the occasional large floods.In comparison, the rivers of the Indian Peninsula are, by and large, stable and thegeomorphic effects of floods are modest. Only large-magnitude floods that occur at aninterval of several years to decades are competent to modify the channel morphology in asignificant way. A synthesis of the various case studies available from the Indianregion indicates that often the absolute magnitude of a flood is not as important withrespect to the geomorphic effects as the flow stress and competence.     

Fracture zones in the Deccan Traps of Western and Central India: A study based on remote sensing techniques

Deccan Trap lavas (Cretaceous to Tertiary), which cover a large area in the Western and the Central India, are generally regarded as structurally undisturbed save for certain areas along the west-coast and the Narmada Valley in Central India. Remote Sensing techniques have given a new dimension to the problem of locating such disturbed areas by virtue of the capacity of aerospace imagery to delineate lineaments, many of which represent structural geological features. Studies carried out in the areas west and north west of Pune, (above and below the western ghat scrap), the Narmada valley region north of Barwah and the Ramakona area of Central India, reveal that these areas are riddled with fractures. The fractures have generally given rise to narrow valley or escarpments. Some of the fractures show displacement along them, while some show intrusive dykes filling them. The fractures in Central India were sometimes found to the extensions of faults traversing the basement. Hence, in the regoins, where the basement is not exposed, they may be suggestive of the structural trends of the concealed basement.