Strong variation in weathering of layered rock maintains hillslope‐scale strength under high precipitation

The evolution of volcanic landscapes and their landslide potential are both dependent upon the weathering of layered volcanic rock sequences. We characterize critical zone structure using shallow seismic V_p and V_s profiles and vertical exposures of rock across a basaltic climosequence on Kohala peninsula, Hawai’i, and exploit the dramatic gradient in mean annual precipitation (MAP) across the peninsula as a proxy for weathering intensity. Seismic velocity increases rapidly with depth and the velocity–depth gradient is uniform across three sites with 500–600 mm/yr MAP, where the transition to unaltered bedrock occurs at a depth of 4 to 10 m. In contrast, velocity increases with depth less rapidly at wetter sites, but this gradient remains constant across increasing MAP from 1000 to 3000 mm/yr and the transition to unaltered bedrock is near the maximum depth of investigation (15–25 m). In detail, the profiles of seismic velocity and of weathering at wet sites are nowhere monotonic functions of depth. The uniform average velocity gradient and the greater depths of low velocities may be explained by the averaging of velocities over intercalated highly weathered sites with less weathered layers at sites where MAP > 1000 mm/yr. Hence, the main effect of climate is not the progressive deepening of a near‐surface altered layer, but rather the rapid weathering of high permeability zones within rock subjected to precipitation greater than ~1000 mm/yr. Although weathering suggests mechanical weakening, the nearly horizontal orientation of alternating weathered and unweathered horizons with respect to topography also plays a role in the slope stability of these heterogeneous rock masses. We speculate that where steep, rapidly evolving hillslopes exist, the sub‐horizontal orientation of weak/strong horizons allows such sites to remain nearly as strong as their less weathered counterparts at drier sites, as is exemplified by the 50°–60° slopes maintained in the amphitheater canyons on the northwest flank of the island. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2016年8月24日意大利中部MW6.2地震强地面运动特征分析

对意大利国家强震台网在2016年8月24日获得的其中部拉齐奥大区阿库莫利市发生的M_W6.2地震强震动三分向记录进行处理和分析。完成原始数据基线校正、滤波等基本数据处理,回归此次地震动幅值衰减规律,发现其整体与ITA08及BA08的衰减趋势一致,但远场实际值低于预测值,不同场地条件下的衰减特性与ITA10一致,近震源幅值较大,且方向性明显;计算并回归分析几种持时,与全球经验预测方程均基本吻合;比较4个幅值较大的近震源台站的反应谱,发现其明显高于欧洲抗震设计规范中的设计反应谱。结合此次震害特点,该地区在实际建设中仍需提高抗震设防能力,以确保安全性等级。     

基于钻孔数据的大同场地类别与地震动参数分布研究

收集在大同市开展的117项地震安全性评价报告,重点整理报告中的319个钻孔数据,核对各场地类别。参考第五代地震动参数区划图,选取有代表性的22个工程场地,重新进行地震危险性概率分析和土层反应计算,确定各场地50年超越概率为63%、10%、2%的地震动参数,分析大同市场地类别分布特征和地震动参数分布特征。结果表明,这些项目集中分布在大同市南部,工程场地类别主要为Ⅱ类和Ⅲ类,绝大多数为Ⅱ类。50年超越概率10%的水平峰值加速度中,只有1个工程场地的结果是0.182g,位于0.15g区,其余均位于0.20g区。50年超越概率10%的特征周期在0.52~0.65s之间,平均值为0.58s。     

Review on the study of topographic effect on seismic ground motion

Topographic effect study is a very important research topic in seismology, seismic engineering,earthquake engineering, engineering earthquake construction and engineering seismology. This paper focuses on its present development status. Post-earthquake investigation has found that the existence of topography caused more serious earthquake damage. The actual seismographs also recorded the topographic amplification effect of 6 to 7 times and even more than 10 times. Numerical simulation is an important technique to study topographic effect, which complements the lack of observed records. However researches on 3-D topographic effect are not enough and need to be studied deeper. To find the main influence factors and the quantitative relationship between topography and ground motion are required very urgently. Obviously the achievements not only can be applied in the earthquake resistant design, but also can provide the quantitative pre-earthquake disaster prediction and quantitative post-earthquake disaster evaluation.     

Finding the most suitable slope stability model for the assessment of the impact of climate change on a ­landslide in southeast France

The response of a landslide near Barcelonnette (southeast France) to climatic factors was simulated with three slope stability models: a fully empirical gross precipitation threshold, a semi‐empirical threshold model for net precipitation, and a fully conceptual slope stability model. The three models performed with similar levels in reproducing the present‐day temporal pattern of landslide reactivation, using dendrogeomorphological information as test data. The semi‐empirical and conceptual models were found to be overparameterized, because more than one parameter setting matching the test data was identified. In the case of the conceptual model, this resulted in strongly divergent scenarios of future landslide activity, using downscaled climate scenarios as inputs to the model. The uncertainty of the landslide scenarios obtained with the semi‐empirical model was much lower. In addition, the simulation of strongly different scenarios by the fully empirical threshold was attributed to its incomplete representation of the site‐specific landslide reactivation mechanism. It is concluded that the semi‐empirical model constitutes the best compromise between conceptual representation and model robustness. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of riparian tree roots on the mass‐stability of riverbanks

Plants interact with and modify the processes of riverbank erosion by altering bank hydrology, flow hydraulics and bank geotechnical properties. The physically based slope stability model GWEDGEM was used to assess how changes in bank geotechnical properties due to the roots of native Australian riparian trees affected the stability of bank sections surveyed along the Latrobe River. Modelling bank stability against mass failure with and without the reinforcing effects of River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) or Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca ericifolia) indicates that root reinforcement of the bank substrate provides high levels of bank protection. The model indicates that the addition of root reinforcement to an otherwise unstable bank section can raise the factor of safety (F _s) from F _s = 1·0 up to about F _s = 1·6. The addition of roots to riverbanks improves stability even under worst‐case hydrological conditions and is apparent over a range of bank geometries, varying with tree position. Trees growing close to potential failure plane locations, either low on the bank or on the floodplain, realize the greatest bank reinforcement. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A three‐dimensional transmitting boundary formulated in Cartesian co‐ordinate system for the dynamics of non‐axisymmetric foundations

A three‐dimensional transmitting boundary is formulated in the Cartesian co‐ordinate system. It is developed for the dynamic soil–structure interaction problems of arbitrary shape foundations in laterally heterogeneous strata overlying rigid bedrock. Dynamics of a rectangular rigid surface foundation on a homogeneous stratum is analysed by a hybrid approach in which the finite region including foundation is modelled by the conventional finite element method and the surrounding infinite region by the newly developed transmitting boundary. To demonstrate its strength, the present method is applied to a rectangular foundation in a horizontally heterogeneous ground consisting of two distinct regions divided by and welded along a vertical plane. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance of multiple tuned mass dampers for attenuating undesirable oscillations of structures under the ground acceleration

Multiple tuned mass dampers (MTMDs) consisting of many tuned mass dampers (TMDs) with a uniform distribution of natural frequencies are considered for attenuating undesirable vibration of a structure. The MTMD is manufactured by keeping the stiffness and damping constant and varying the mass. The structure is represented by its mode‐generalized system in the specific vibration mode being controlled using the mode reduced‐order method. The optimum parameters of the MTMD are investigated to delineate the influence of the important parameters on the effectiveness and robustness of the MTMD by conducting a numerical searching technique in two directions. The parameters include: the frequency spacing, average damping ratio, mass ratio and total number. The criterion selected for the optimization is the minimization of the maximum value of the dynamic magnification factor (DMF) of the structure with MTMD (i.e. Min.Max.DMF). In this paper, for the sake of comparison, the MTMD(II), which is made by keeping the mass constant and varying the stiffness and damping coefficient, and a single TMD are also taken into account. It is demonstrated that the optimum frequency spacing of the MTMD is the same as that of the MTMD(II) and the optimum average damping ratio of the MTMD is a little larger than that of the MTMD(II). It is also found that the optimum MTMD is more effective than the optimum MTMD(II) and the optimum single TMD with equal mass. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四川彭州市灯杆坡滑坡变形特征及稳定性分析

作者等对"5.12"汶川地震诱发的彭州市灯杆坡大型堆积体滑坡的变形破坏特征、滑坡的过程机制及震后稳定性进行了较系统的研究。滑坡变形可分为三个区,Ⅰ区为主变形区,Ⅱ和Ⅲ区为Ⅰ区后缘开裂诱发的向两侧的塌陷;滑坡Ⅰ区和Ⅱ区为推移式滑坡,Ⅲ区为牵引式滑坡,主滑Ⅰ区为沿基覆界面的推移式滑移,后缘开裂下错,中前部挤胀开裂;降雨和地震因素对滑坡稳定性影响较大,暴雨和地震情况下滑坡体处于欠稳定到不稳定状态,其中Ⅰ区中前部存在较严重的局部稳定性问题。     

近30年青藏高原年平均0cm地温的分布和变化特征

选取青藏高原40个测站1970～2002年各月平均0cm地温资料，通过EOF、二阶多项式函数和小波分析等方法，对青藏高原年平均0cm地温的时空分布特征进行了研究。结果表明，青藏高原年平均0cm地温EOF展开的第一特征向量反映了高原地温分布的一致性，而第二、三特征向量分别揭示了高原地温分布受到各种中、小尺度天气系统和海拔高度制约的事实。高原地温空间异常可分为4个气候区，即东北部、南部、主体和西部。高原地温各分区代表站的二阶多项式反映出近30年高原东北部地温呈降温趋势；南部呈增温趋势；高原主体和西部具有高一低一高的抛物线型变化趋势。高原地温各分区皆有3a和准7a的振荡周期。