Coupled hydro-mechanical model for partially saturated soils predicting small strain stiffness

In the paper, we present newly developed hydro-mechanical hypoplastic model for partially saturated soils predicting small strain stiffness. Hysteretic void ratio dependent water retention model has been incorporated into the existing hypoplastic model. This required thorough revision of the model structure to allow for the hydro-mechanical coupling dependencies. The model is formulated in terms of degree of saturation, rather than of suction. Subsequently, the small strain stiffness effects were incorporated using the intergranular strain concept modified for unsaturated conditions. New features included degree of saturation-dependent size of the elastic range and an updated evolution equation for the intergranular strain. The model has been evaluated using two comprehensive data sets on completely decomposed tuff from Hong-Kong and Zenos Kaolin from Iran. It has been shown that the modified intergranular strain formulation coupled with the hysteretic water retention model correctly reproduces the effects of both the stress and suction histories on small strain stiffness evolution. The model can correctly predict also different other aspects of partially saturated soil behaviour, starting from the very small strain range up to the asymptotic large-strain response.     

Doing Research on Eclipsing Binary Stars with Small Telescopes and PC computers

Astronomical research with a small telescope (20 cm – 40 cm) has always been a challenging problem. The invention of CCD cameras and personal computers has now put this question to past as small telescopes can do good and practicle science. This paper describes the use of small telescope in the study of eclipsing binary stars. Binary stars play an important role as astrophysical laboratories in our quest to understand the evolution and structure of stars. The most useful aspects of research with a small telescope in binary star research is; 1) as a viable teaching laboratory for begining students 2) to teach and learn the fundamental observational techniques that are common to many types of astronomical research areas 3) as a starting point to initiate research programs in observational astronomy, optics, instrumentation, computational astrophysics and 4) as a foundation to develop an infrastructure and technical know how for larger telescope facility. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Using simulated data to investigate the spatial patterns of obesity prevalence at the census tract level in metropolitan Detroit

Obesity is a serious public health problem in the United States. It is important to estimate obesity prevalence at the local level to target programmatic and policy interventions. It is challenging, however, to obtain local estimates of obesity prevalence because national health surveys such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) are not designed to produce direct estimates at the local levels (e.g. census tracts) due to small population samples and the need to preserve individual confidentiality. In this study we address the problem of estimating local obesity prevalence rates by implementing a spatial microsimulation modeling technique to proportionally replicate the demographic characteristics of BRFSS respondents to census tract populations in metropolitan Detroit. Obesity prevalence rates are examined for high and low spatial clusters and studied in relation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) measures of low-income neighborhoods and local food deserts and CDC's measure of healthy and less healthy food environments currently used to target obesity reduction initiatives. This study found that obesity prevalence was largely clustered in the City of Detroit extending north into contiguous suburbs. The spatial patterns of highest obesity prevalence tracts were most similarly aligned with USDA-defined low-income tracts and CDC's less healthy food tracts. The locations of USDA's food desert tracts rarely overlapped with the highest obesity prevalence tracts. This study demonstrated a new methodology by which to assess local areas in need of future obesity interventions.     

Short‐term spatial and temporal patterns of suspended sediment transfer in proglacial channels,small River Glacier,Canada

Alpine glacial basins are a significant source and storage area for sediment exposed by glacial retreat. Recent research has indicated that short‐term storage and release of sediment in proglacial channels may control the pattern of suspended sediment transfer from these basins. Custom‐built continuously recording turbidimeters installed on a network of nine gauging sites were used to characterize spatial and temporal variability in suspended sediment transfer patterns for the entire proglacial area at Small River Glacier, British Columbia, Canada. Discharge and suspended sediment concentration were measured at 5 min intervals over the ablation season of 2000. Differences in suspended sediment transfer patterns were then extracted using multivariate statistics (principal component and cluster analysis). Results showed that each gauging station was dominated c. 80% of days by diurnal sediment transfer patterns and ‘low’ suspended sediment concentrations. ‘Irregular’ transfer patterns were generally associated with ‘high’ sediment concentrations during snowmelt and rainfall events, resulting in the transfer of up to 70% of the total seasonal suspended sediment load at some gauging stations. Suspended sediment enrichment of up to 600% from channel storage release and extrachannel inputs occurred between the glacial front and distal proglacial boundary. However, these patterns differed significantly between gauging stations as determined by the location of the gauging station within the catchment and meteorological conditions. Overall, the proglacial area was the source for up to 80% of the total suspended sediment yield transferred from the Small River Glacier basin. These results confirmed that sediment stored and released in the proglacial area, in particular from proglacial channels, was controlling suspended sediment transfer patterns. To characterize this control accurately requires multiple gauging stations with high frequency monitoring of suspended sediment concentration. Accurate characterization of this proglacial control on suspended sediment transfer may therefore aid interpretation of suspended sediment yield patterns from glacierized basins. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Some results from the National Observatory of Turkey, Kazan State University, and Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory on small bodies of the solar system

A scientific collaboration between TÜB?TAK National Observatory (Turkey), Kazan State University (Russia) and Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory (Ukraine) involves observations of minor planets and near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) with the 1.5 m Russian-Turkish telescope (RTT150). Regular observations of selected asteroids in the range of 11-18 magnitudes began in 2004 with the view of determining masses of selected asteroids, improving the orbits of the NEAs, and studying physical characteristics of selected asteroids from photometric observations. More than 3000 positions of 53 selected asteroids and 11 NEAs have been obtained with an internal error in the range of 30-300 mas for a single determination. Photometric reductions of more than 4000 CCD frames are in progress. Masses of 21 asteroids were estimated through dynamical method using the ground-based optical observations, mainly from the RTT150 and Minor Planet Center. A comparison of the observational results from the RTT150 in 2004-2005 with observations of the same objects at other observatories allows us to conclude that RTT150 can be used for ground-based support in astrometry for the space mission GAIA.     

小流域水分行为、生态效应及其优化调控研究方面的若干问题

把小流域水文生态研究,分解为小流域水分行为、生态效应及其优化调控研究3个方面。在分析国内外研究现状与问题的基础上,指出了其需要系统加以探讨的若干内容,认为由此可构建流域水文生态学的基本框架,进而发展流域水文生态学。     

内蒙古中西部地区中小地震矩震级研究

基于S震相"S窗"内的波形信号识别、品质因子Q(f)和22个台站场地响应,利用2009~2016年3月内蒙古中西部地区地震的波形资料,反演了182次中小地震的震源波谱参数,得到这些小震的零频幅值及其拐角频率,据此计算了这些地震的地震矩M_0、矩震级M_W和应力降Δσ。利用回归分析方法得到了近震震级与矩震级、矩震级与应力降的关系式。分析表明,近震震级与矩震级、矩震级与应力降呈线性关系。可见,将矩震级纳入地震的快报与正式目录中,可以丰富地震观测报告内容,更好地为地震应急和地震科研服务。     

基于小震定位与震源机制解信息的阿尔金断裂带东段构造转换研究

阿尔金断裂带东段地区的造转换及其动力学机制研究一直是地学工作者关注的焦点.本文利用双差定位法获取研究区域2008—2017年间6013次地震事件的精确定位数据;整理筛选前人震源机制解36个,并采用P/S波振幅比方法计算获得221个以及CAP方法获得25个震源机制解信息.选择野马河—大雪山断裂作为研究区构造转换研究的突破口,综合小震定位数据与震源机制解信息,并开展野外地质调查进行验证,清晰刻画出该断裂的深部构造形态以及现今的运动特征：由阿尔金断裂带向祁连山方向过渡,断层产状由近直立逐渐转变为倾向南,倾角变缓,震源机制解由走滑性质为主转变为逆冲性质为主,是一个连续渐变的过程,为研究区的构造转换研究提供了直接证据.     

新疆皮山地区地震动衰减关系研究

利用2015年7月3日皮山M_S6.5地震序列的波形资料,采用微遗传算法反演得到震源区的5个介质参数,即应力降Δσ为75.95bars,品质因子Q_0为186.33,η值为0.26,几何衰减分段点R_1为72.18km,R_2为139.70km;并由此计算得到的傅氏谱再配合随机相位谱,进而得到地震动时程,建立了震源区地震动衰减关系。由于缺乏强震记录,本文还收集了2008年10月5日乌恰M_S6.9地震、2008年10月6日阿克陶M_S6.2地震、2012年3月9日洛浦M_S6.0地震的强震数据,将计算结果与经验性衰减关系以及3次强震记录进行比较后发现,皮山地震、洛浦地震的强震数据普遍高于经验性衰减关系,乌恰地震的强震数据与俞言祥等文中的衰减关系吻合较好,在远场低于本文的计算结果。