Meteorological effects on seasonal displacements of the ?knes rockslide, western Norway

In the alpine topography along one of the long fjords with steep and high mountain sides in western Norway the large ?knes rockslide area is defined by a distinct back scarp rising from 800 to 1,000 m a.s.l. In 2004, an extensive monitoring program started, including establishment of a meteorological station above the upper tension crack, 900 m a.s.l. This paper evaluates the significance of meteorological conditions affecting the displacements recorded by five extensometers and two laser sensors in the tension crack from November 2004 to August 2008. Meteorological factors of importance for the recorded activity in the tension crack are found to be melt water in spring and large temperature fluctuations around the freezing point in spring, autumn, and early winter. The records show less acceleration phases in the measured distance across the tension crack in the second half of the analyzed period even though annual displacements are increasing, indicating that other processes, like disintegration of irregularities along unfilled joints and disintegration of intact rock bridges in the sliding plane have become more important.     

Book Review: Martin L.J. Turner: Expedition Mars,Springer/Praxis,London, 2004, 321 pages. ISBN: 1-85233-735-4

Earth, Moon, and Planets -     

Correlation of late precambrian and early Palaeozoic sequences by eustatic sea-level changes and the selection of the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary

The author argues for a pragmatic approach to the problem of defining the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. A boundary at first occurrence of shelly fauna as recommended by the Precambrian-Cambrian working group will create severe difficulties in worldwide correlation. By placing the boundary stratigraphically somewhat higher (i.e. the Fallotaspis zone) with a more abundant fauna, there is a much better basis for biostratigraphic correlation.Eustatic sea-level changes may be another important tool for late Precambrian-early Palaeozoic correlation, and more detailed facies interpretation of such sequences should be carried out in order to recognise these eustatic sea-level changes.     

Competitive firms in thin regions in Norway: The importance of workplace learning

The article departs from empirical studies of two competitive firms in an organisationally thin region in Norway. The main question in the article is how these firms have achieved global competitiveness. The article focuses its inquiry on how the firms organise their innovation activity, giving special attention to the firms' organisational learning and absorptive capacity. It is found that find that workplace learning enables the firms to utilise knowledge in uncommon ways. The learning rests on specific organisational traits in the firms, such as broad participation, long-term on-the-job training, the use of practice-based knowledge in innovation projects, and links to national and global knowledge sources. The characteristics of thin regions indicate that these traits make up a generally applicable strategy in such regions.     

TESSIN VISLab—laboratory for scientific visualization

Scientific visualization is an integral part of the modeling workflow, enabling researchers to understand complex or large data sets and simulation results. A high-resolution stereoscopic virtual reality (VR) environment further enhances the possibilities of visualization. Such an environment also allows collaboration in work groups including people of different backgrounds and to present results of research projects to stakeholders or the public. The requirements for the computing equipment driving the VR environment demand specialized software applications which can be run in a parallel fashion on a set of interconnected machines. Another challenge is to devise a useful data workflow from source data sets onto the display system. Therefore, we develop software applications like the OpenGeoSys Data Explorer, custom data conversion tools for established visualization packages such as ParaView and Visualization Toolkit as well as presentation and interaction techniques for 3D applications like Unity. We demonstrate our workflow by presenting visualization results for case studies from a broad range of applications. An outlook on how visualization techniques can be deeply integrated into the simulation process is given and future technical improvements such as a simplified hardware setup are outlined.     

Degradation of digested sewage sludge residue under anaerobic conditions for mine tailings remediation

Previous studies showed that 85 % of total organic matter (TOM) in digested sewage sludge (biosolids) used as a sealing layer material over sulfide tailings at the Kristineberg Mine, northern Sweden, had been degraded 8 years after application, resulting in a TOM reduction from 78 to 14 %. To achieve a better understanding of the field observations, laboratory studies were performed to evaluate biodegradation rates of the TOM under anaerobic conditions. Results reveal that the original biosolid consisted of ca. 60 % TOM (48.0 % lignin and 11.8 % carbohydrates) that had not been fully degraded. The incubation experiments proved that 27.8 % TOM in the biosolid was further degraded anaerobically at 20–22 °C during the 230 days’ incubation period, and that a plateau to the biodegradation rate was approached. Based on model results, the degradation constant was found to be 0.0125 (day^?1). The calculated theoretical gas formation potential was ca. 50 % higher than the modeled results based on the average degradation rate. Cumulated H₂S equated to 0.65 μmoL g^?1 of biosolid at 230 days. However, the large sulfurous compounds reservoir (1.76 g SO₄ ^2? kg^?1 biosolid) together with anaerobic conditions can generate high concentrations of this gas over a long-term perspective. Due to the rate of biodegradability identified via anaerobic processes, the function of the biosolid to serve as an effective barrier to inhibit oxygen migration to underlying tailings, may decrease over time. However, a lack of readily degradable organic fractions in the biosolid and a large fraction of organic matter that was recalcitrant to degradation suggest a longer degradation duration, which would prolong the biosolid material’s function and integrity.     

Using Multiple Grids in Markov Mesh Facies Modeling

A multigrid Markov mesh model for geological facies is formulated by defining a hierarchy of nested grids and defining a Markov mesh model for each of these grids. The facies probabilities in the Markov mesh models are formulated as generalized linear models that combine functions of the grid values in a sequential neighborhood. The parameters in the generalized linear model for each grid are estimated from the training image. During simulation, the coarse patterns are first laid out, and by simulating increasingly finer grids we are able to recreate patterns at different scales. The method is applied to several tests cases and results are compared to the training image and the results of a commercially available snesim algorithm. In each test case, simulation results are compared qualitatively by visual inspection, and quantitatively by using volume fractions, and an upscaled permeability tensor. When compared to the training image, the method produces results that only have a few percent deviation from the values of the training image. When compared with the snesim algorithm the results in general have the same quality. The largest computational cost in the multigrid Markov mesh is the estimation of model parameters from the training image. This is of comparable CPU time to that of creating one snesim realization. The simulation of one realization is typically ten times faster than the estimation.     

Rock Mass Grouting in the Løren Tunnel: Case Study with the Main Focus on the Groutability and Feasibility of Drill Parameter Interpretation

The Løren road tunnel is a part of a major project at Ring road 3 in Oslo, Norway. The rock part of the tunnel is 915 m long and has two tubes with three lanes and breakdown lanes. Strict water ingress restriction was specified and continuous rock mass grouting was, therefore, carried out for the entire tunnel, which was excavated in folded Cambro-Silurian shales intruded by numerous dykes. This paper describes the rock mass grouting that was carried out for the Løren tunnel. Particular emphasis is placed on discussing grout consumption and the challenges that were encountered when passing under a distinct rock depression. Measurement while drilling (MWD) technology was used for this project, and, in this paper, the relationships between the drill parameter interpretation (DPI) factors water and fracturing are examined in relation to grout volumes. A lowering of the groundwater table was experienced during excavation under the rock depression, but the groundwater was nearly re-established after completion of the main construction work. A planned 80-m watertight concrete lining was not required to be built due to the excellent results from grouting in the rock depression area. A relationship was found between leakages mapped in the tunnel and the DPI water factor, indicating that water is actually present where the DPI water factor shows water in the rock. It is concluded that, for the Løren tunnel, careful planning and high-quality execution of the rock mass grouting made the measured water ingress meet the restrictions. For future projects, the DPI water factor may be used to give a better understanding of the material in which the rock mass grouting is performed and may also be used to reduce the time spent and volumes used when grouting.     

Possible Concepts for Waterproofing of Norwegian TBM Railway Tunnels

The aim of this paper is to evaluate and compare the durability, life expectancy and maintenance needs of traditional Norwegian waterproofing concepts to the generally more rigid waterproofing concepts seen in other European countries. The focus will be on solutions for future Norwegian tunnel boring machine railway tunnels. Experiences from operation of newer and older tunnels with different waterproofing concepts have been gathered and analyzed. In the light of functional requirements for Norwegian rail tunnels, some preliminary conclusions about suitable concepts are drawn. Norwegian concepts such as polyethylene panels and lightweight concrete segments with membrane are ruled out. European concepts involving double shell draining systems (inner shell of cast concrete with membrane) and single shell undrained systems (waterproof concrete segments) are generally evaluated as favorable. Sprayable membranes and waterproof/insulating shotcrete are welcomed innovations, but more research is needed to verify their reliability and cost effectiveness compared to the typical European concepts. Increasing traffic and reliance on public transport systems in Norway result in high demand for durable and cost effective solutions.     

3D coupled fluid and heat transport simulations of the Northeast German Basin and their sensitivity to the spatial discretization: different sensitivities for different mechanisms of heat transport

Based on a numerical model of the Northeast German Basin (NEGB), we investigate the sensitivity of the calculated thermal field as resulting from heat conduction, forced and free convection in response to consecutive horizontal and vertical mesh refinements. Our results suggest that computational findings are more sensitive to consecutive horizontal mesh refinements than to changes in the vertical resolution. In addition, the degree of mesh sensitivity depends strongly on the type of the process being investigated, whether heat conduction, forced convection or free thermal convection represents the active heat driver. In this regard, heat conduction exhibits to be relative robust to imposed changes in the spatial discretization. A systematic mesh sensitivity is observed in areas where forced convection promotes an effective role in shorten the background conductive thermal field. In contrast, free thermal convection is to be regarded as the most sensitive heat transport process as demonstrated by non-systematic changes in the temperature field with respect to imposed changes in the model resolution.