Advective, orographic and radiation fog in the Tarapacá region, Chile

A project in northern Chile was undertaken to determine the origin and behaviour of fog in the coastal and inland locations of the Tarapacá Region. In the Pampa del Tamarugal, 50 km from the sea, conditions exist for the formation of radiation fog. Advective fog has been studied on the coast and orographic fog was observed at a few coastal sites near mountain ranges with elevations above 1000 m. Fog water collected by two standard fog collectors (SFC) for 3 1/2 years showed an average flux of 8.5 l m⁻² day⁻¹ on the coast and 1.1 l m⁻² day⁻¹ inland 12 km from the coastline. On only a few days in 10 months was water collected at the inland site of Pampa del Tamarugal. GOES satellite images are shown to illustrate the pattern of formation of the stratocumuli cloud over the sea, its approach to the coastline, the entrance of fog by corridors through the coastal range and the presence of radiation fog inland. The results are important for the understanding of fog formation and dissipation along the coastal mountain range and for the recognition of potential sites for the installation of fog water collectors, which can be used as a water source in the Atacama Desert. The results also provide vital information for use in the preservation of the unique ecosystems of the most arid desert of the world.     

ODP 1144站钻孔沉积物中微玻璃陨石的元素地球化学特征

利用电子探针和激光探针等离子体质谱方法分析了取自南海北部的ODP1144钻孔沉积物中的微玻璃陨石和取自邻近的广东省湛江和吴川玻璃陨石的主元素和微量元素组成。结果显示，这些微玻璃陨石属于亚洲-澳大利亚散落区的普通微玻璃陨石。从成分上看，这些微玻璃陨石存在两种不同的类型，其中的绝大部分Al2O3含量在19.0%以上，属于高Al类型，相应的难熔微量元素含量也比较高；个别微玻璃陨石Al2O3含量（13.0%)和难熔微量元素含量较低，微量元素含量和特征比值都与邻近的广东省湛江和吴川的玻璃陨石相近。元素地球化学特征意味着，这些微玻璃陨石来源于同一靶源区，但靶区的物质组成并不均一。     

Horizontal and vertical components of earthquake ground motions at liquefiable sites

Field observations on ground motions from recent earthquakes imply that current knowledge is limited with regard to relating vertical and horizontal motions at liquefiable sites. This paper describes a study with the purpose of clarifying this emerging issue to some extent. A series of numerical analyses is carried out on a liquefiable soil deposit with a verified, fully coupled, nonlinear procedure. It is shown that the transformation of vertical motions in the deposit differs considerably from the transformation of horizontal motions. Both the amplitude and frequency content of the horizontal motions are strongly dependent on the shaking level or the associated nonlinear soil behavior. The transfer function for vertical motions is however likely to be independent of the intensity of input motions; no reduction in the amplitude occurs even in the case of strong shaking. The results are shown to be in consistence with the laboratory observations on shaking table tests and recent field observations that less nonlinearity exists for vertical motions. It is also shown that the possibility exists for using information on spectral ratios between the horizontal and vertical surface motions to quickly identify in situ soil behavior and liquefaction that are not readily covered by conventional field or laboratory experimentation procedures.     

Computational modeling of cyclic mobility and post-liquefaction site response

Under seismic excitation, liquefied clean medium to dense cohesionless soils may regain a high level of shear resistance at large shear strain excursions. This pattern of response, known as a form of cyclic mobility, has been documented by a large body of laboratory sample tests and centrifuge experiments. A plasticity-based constitutive model is developed with emphasis on simulating the cyclic mobility response mechanism and associated pattern of shear strain accumulation. This constitutive model is incorporated into a two-phase (solid–fluid), fully coupled finite element code. Calibration of the constitutive model is described, based on a unique set of laboratory triaxial tests (monotonic and cyclic) and dynamic centrifuge experiments. In this experimental series, Nevada sand at a relative density of about 40% is employed. The calibration effort focused on reproducing the salient characteristics of dynamic site response as dictated by the cyclic mobility mechanism. Finally, using the calibrated model, a numerical simulation is conducted to highlight the effect of excitation frequency content on post-liquefaction ground deformations.     

Validation through HVSR measurements of a method for the quick detection of site amplification effects from intensity data: an application to a seismic area in Northern Italy

An instrumental validation is attempted of an innovative approach devoted to the quick individuation, from macroseismic data, of site amplification phenomena able to significantly modify seismic hazard levels expected on the basis of average propagation effects only. According to this methodology, two evaluations of hazard are performed at each investigated locality: the former, obtained by epicentral intensity data ‘reduced’ at the site through a probabilistic attenuation function and, the latter, computed by integrating such data with seismic effects actually observed at the site during past earthquakes. The comparison, for each locality, between these two hazard estimates allow to orientate the identification of those sites where local amplifications of earthquake ground motion could be significant. In order to check such methodology, indications obtained in this way from macroseismic data are compared with the estimates of transfer functions performed through the HVSR technique applied to microtremors. Results concerning municipalities located in a seismic area of Northern Italy indicate a good agreement between macroseismic and instrumental estimates.     

Viscous damping formulation and high frequency motion propagation in non-linear site response analysis

Non-linear time domain site response analysis is widely used in evaluating local soil effects on propagated ground motion. This approach has generally provided good estimates of field behavior at longer periods but has shortcomings at relatively shorter periods. Viscous damping is commonly employed in the equation of motion to capture damping at very small strains and employs an approximation of Rayleigh damping using the first natural mode only. This paper introduces a new formulation for the viscous damping using the full Rayleigh damping. The new formulation represents more accurately wave propagation for soil columns greater than 50 m thick and improves non-linear site response analysis at shorter periods. The proposed formulation allows the use of frequency dependent viscous damping. Several examples, including a field case history at Treasure Island, California, demonstrate the significant improvement in computed surface response using the new formulation.     

Seismic evaluation of existing nuclear facility using ambient vibration test to characterize dynamic behavior of the structure and microtremor measurements to characterize the soil: a case study

The methods used for a building seismic hazard evaluation are presented with the associated results. The goals of the study are (1) to check the soil nature and the existence or not of a possible site effect around the installation and (2) to characterize the dynamic behavior of the building using ambient vibration records.

The results of the soil study with the Nakamura method are very difficult to interpret because they are not stable in space and time. The spectral ratios method has been used with regional earthquake records. The results of the application of this method allowed us to conclude that the installation was free of site effect.

The ambient vibration measurements on the building brought the conclusion to determine the first and second modes of the structure. These results have been used to calibrate numerical model. The modal shapes in plan (high roof) and in elevation (main column) have been evaluated. The damping of the building has been computed using ambient vibration records.     

Development of site-specific design ground motions in Western and Eastern North America

This paper presents results recently obtained for generating site-specific ground motions needed for design of critical facilities. The general approach followed in developing these ground motions using either deterministic or probabilistic criteria is specification of motions for rock outcrop or very firm soil conditions followed by adjustments for site-specific conditions. Central issues in this process include development of appropriate attenuation relations and their uncertainties, differences in expected motions between Western and Eastern North America, and incorporation of site-specific adjustments that maintain the same hazard level as the control motions, while incorporating uncertainties in local dynamic material properties. For tectonically active regions, such as the Western United States (WUS), sufficient strong motion data exist to constrain empirical attenuation relations for M up to about 7 and for distances greater than about 10–15 km. Motions for larger magnitudes and closer distances are largely driven by extrapolations of empirical relations and uncertainties need to be substantially increased for these cases.

For the Eastern United States (CEUS), due to the paucity of strong motion data for cratonic regions worldwide, estimation of strong ground motions for engineering design is based entirely on calibrated models. The models are usually calibrated and validated in the WUS where sufficient strong motion data are available and then recalibrated for applications to the CEUS. Recalibration generally entails revising parameters based on available CEUS ground motion data as well as indirect inferences through intensity observations. Known differences in model parameters such as crustal structure between WUS and CEUS are generally accommodated as well. These procedures are examined and discussed.     

A hybrid indirect boundary element—discrete wave number method applied to simulate the seismic response of stratified alluvial valleys

A hybrid indirect boundary element – discrete wavenumber method is presented and applied to model the ground motion on stratified alluvial valleys under incident plane SH waves from an elastic half-space. The method is based on the single-layer integral representation for diffracted waves. Refracted waves in the horizontally stratified region can be expressed as a linear superposition of solutions for a set of discrete wavenumbers. These solutions are obtained in terms of the Thomson–Haskell propagators formalism. Boundary conditions of continuity of displacements and tractions along the common boundary between the half-space and the stratified region lead to a system of equations for the sources strengths and the coefficients of the plane wave expansion. Although the regions share the boundary, the discretization schemes are different for both sides: for the exterior region, it is based on the numerical and analytical integration of exact Green's functions for displacements and tractions whereas for the layered part, a collocation approach is used. In order to validate this approach results are compared for well-known cases studied in the literature. A homogeneous trapezoidal valley and a parabolic stratified valley were studied and excellent agreement with previous computations was found. An example is given for a stratified inclusion model of an alluvial deposit with an irregular interface with the half-space. Results are displayed in both frequency and time domains. These results show the significant influence of lateral heterogeneity and the emergence of locally generated surface waves in the seismic response of alluvial valleys.