Kelp forests in False Bay: urchins vs macroalgae in South Africa’s southwest coast biogeographical transition zone

Kelp forests along South Africa's southwest coast occur in a region of biogeographical overlap. Commonly referred to as transition-zone kelp forests, these dynamic ecosystems are particularly susceptible to grazing from species such as urchins. This study explores relationships between urchins and macroalgae in transition-zone kelp forests along the western side of False Bay. Six kelp forests in this region were sampled. At each site, the urchin Parechinus angulosus and kelp Ecklonia maxima were counted, percentage cover of understorey algae was recorded, and drift algae were collected. Despite variability in urchin and algal cover across sites, kelps generally increased from north to south, while urchins did the opposite. Urchins were negatively associated with macroalgae, although this relationship was weak. A localised threshold of 50 urchins m^–2 was identified, above which kelp density failed to increase above 10 m^–2 and percentage cover of understorey algae usually remained below 20%. Surprisingly, no relationship was discovered between drift algae and attached algae. The findings highlight the complexity of these cool-water environments. To better understand the role of urchins in this system, particularly under changing climate trends, experimental research into the feeding behaviour and possible effects of urchins on attached algae in the presence/absence of drift algae is advised.     

Relating a recruitment shift of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus Lönnberg) to large-scale environmental changes off Southern Chile

The SE Pacific stock of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus) showed evidence of an abrupt reduction in recruitment after 2000. This drop exceeded expectations from changes in the spawning stock biomass (SSB), indicating a change in the stock-recruitment relationship (S-R). We evaluated whether variability in recruitment could be explained by concurrent changes in three environmental indices: sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTA); southern oscillation index (SOI); and latitudinal position of the west wind drift bifurcation (WWDL). Continuous and discrete effects of these indices were tested as covariates in linear log-log and non-linear Ricker's S-R models. Discrete effects represented regime shifts detected in SSTA (1998), SOI (1998) and WWDL (1995). While SSTA was the only continuous variable found to be significant, the discrete 1998 regime shift supported the most informative model. The best Ricker's model considered a discrete intercept change in the same year: 1998. Although a spurious correlation between SSTA and S-R changes is possible, SSTA may be reflecting major physical or biological changes relevant to M. magellanicus juveniles in the SE Pacific.     

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Fragility analysis of low‐rise masonry in‐filled reinforced concrete buildings by a coefficient‐based spectral acceleration method

This study presents a seismic fragility analysis of low‐rise masonry in‐filled (MI) reinforced concrete (RC) buildings using a proposed coefficient‐based spectral acceleration method. The coefficient‐based method, without requiring any complicated finite element analysis, is a simplified procedure for assessing the spectral acceleration demand (or capacity) of buildings subjected to earthquakes. This paper begins with a calibration of the proposed coefficient‐based method for low‐rise MI RC buildings using published experimental results obtained from shaking table tests. Spectral acceleration‐based fragility curves for low‐rise MI RC buildings under various inter‐story drift limits are then constructed using the calibrated coefficient‐based method. A comparison of the experimental and estimated results indicates that the simplified coefficient‐based method can provide good approximations of the spectral accelerations at peak loads of low‐rise MI RC buildings, if a proper set of drift‐related factors and initial fundamental periods of structures are used. Moreover, the fragility curves constructed using the coefficient‐based method can provide a satisfactory vulnerability evaluation for low‐rise MI RC buildings under a given performance level. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

云南农村土木结构房屋有限元抗震分析

根据2007年6月3日宁洱6.4级地震现场调查结果,对破坏较严重的土坯房建立了地震分析模型。对不同的开间、进深及檐口高的房屋,输入了3类场地超越概率为63%及超越概率为3%的地震波进行了有限元抗震分析。结果表明:墙厚影响不大,墙高的影响较大,墙高增加,破坏性增加;因此建议在满足使用功能的前提下,不增加墙厚,而减少层高对抗震更为有利,最后提出了相应的抗震加固措施。     

山东区域地电场观测质量分析

对7个台的观测数据质量进行评价和分析,结果表明:郯城、菏泽、大山和陵阳地震台数据质量较好,精度较高,可为地震研究提供可靠的数据资料.     

体应变仪大地震时两次自动调零数据的处理

仪器在较大波动幅度的影响下产生自动调零（电磁阀门开启）,与地震信息混在一起,难以直接使用原始数据。合理消除自动调零带来的影响,还原真实情况,成为台站必须解决的问题。采用确定校正值的方法,力图还原为连续记录,结果发现：处理后的资料可以和另外一台没有调零动作的体积应变仪器的原始资料相符合。     

Seasonal and inter-annual variations of the primary types of the Arctic sea-ice drifting patterns

Abstract Monthly mean sea ice motion vectors and monthly mean sea level pressure （SLP） for the period of 1979-2006 are investigated to understand the spatial and temporal changes of Arctic sea-ice drift. According to the distinct differences in monthly mean ice velocity field as well as in the distribution of SLP, there are four primary types in the Arctic Ocean： Beaufort Gyre＋Transpolar Drift, Anticyclonic Drift, Cyclonic Drift and Double Gyre Drift. These four types account for 81% of the total, and reveal distinct seasonal variations. The Cyclonic Drift with a large-scale anticlockwise ice motion pattern trends to prevail in summer while the Anticyclonic Drift with an opposite pattern trends to prevail in winter and spring. The prevailing seasons for the Beaufort Gyre＋Transpolar Drift are spring and autumn, while the Double Gyre Drift trends to prevail in winter, especially in Feb- ruary. The annual occurring times of the Anticyclonic Drift and the Cyclonic Drift are closely correlated with the yearly mean Arc- tic Oscillation （AO） index, with a correlation coefficient of -0.54 and 0.54 （both significant with the confident level of 99%）, re- spectively. When the AO index stays in a high positive （negative） condition, the sea-ice motion in the Arctic Ocean demonstrates a more anticlockwise （clockwise） drifting pattern as a whole. When the AO index stays in a neutral condition, the sea-ice motion becomes much more complicated and more transitional types trend to take place.     

察尔汗盐湖雅丹地貌区风况分析

输沙势（DP）是风沙地貌研究中使用的一个重要参数,但是在风蚀地貌,如雅丹地貌研究中,鲜有使用者。本文利用建立在察尔汗盐湖雅丹地貌区的自动气象观测仪所记录的风速数据,分析了雅丹地貌区的风速、风向及输沙势变化特征。结果表明:该区起沙风的月平均风速在6.2～7.4 m·s-1之间波动,月最大风速变化范围为9.9～15.0 m·s-1。起沙风主要发生于春、夏两季,发生频率分别为39.63%、31.45%。起沙风风向以WNW、W为主,分别占年起沙风的41.05%、20.02%。年DP为326 VU,年RDP为235 VU,为中风能环境。年净输沙方向为ESE。方向变率指数（RDP/DP）0.72,为中比率,对应风向变率也为中等,为钝双峰风况。雅丹体长轴走向与盛行风向基本一致,该区雅丹地貌的形成以风力作用为主。     

Procedures for calibration of linear models for damage limitation in design of masonry‐infilled RC frames

Recent earthquakes have confirmed the role played by infills in the seismic response of reinforced concrete buildings. The control and limitation of damage to such nonstructural elements is a key issue in performance‐based earthquake engineering. The present work is focused on modeling and analysis of damage to infill panels, and, in particular, it is aimed towards linear analysis procedures for assessing the damage limitation limit state of infilled reinforced concrete frames. First, code provisions on infill modeling and acceptance criteria at the damage limitation limit state are reviewed. Literature contributions on damage to unreinforced masonry infill panels and corresponding displacement capacity are reported and discussed. Two procedures are then proposed aiming at a twofold goal: (i) the determination of ‘equivalent’ interstory drift ratio limits for a bare frame model and (ii) the estimation of the stiffness of equivalent struts representing infill walls in a linear model. These two quantities are determined such that a linear model ensures a reliable estimation of seismic capacity at the damage limitation limit state, providing the same intensity level as that obtained from nonlinear analyses carried out on structural models with infills. Finally, the proposed procedures are applied to four‐story and eight‐story case study‐infilled frames, designed for seismic loads according to current technical codes. The results of these application examples are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.