Numerical modelling of deformation of multi-directional random waves over a varying topography

Two numerical formulations of the breaking phenomenon were implemented in a numerical model for random wave propagation based on the elliptic formulation of the mild-slope equation. The randomness of the wave field was simulated based on a spectral component method, in which the 3-D spectrum is discretised in components of equal energy. One of the breaking process formulations is based on the concept of breaking each independent spectral component. The other is based on the distribution of the local amount of energy dissipated through the independent spectral components. The model based on the concept of breaking each independent spectral component produces the best estimates of the wave field, when the numerical results are compared with laboratory data.     

Pathogenic fungi: an unacknowledged risk at coastal resorts? New insights on microbiological sand quality in Portugal

Whilst the potential impact on beach users from microorganisms in water has received considerable attention, there has been relatively little investigation into microbial contaminants in sand. Thirty three beaches across Portugal were analyzed during a five year period (2006-2010) to determine the presence of yeasts, pathogenic fungi, dermatophytes, total coliforms, Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci in sand.Our results showed that 60.4% of the samples were positive for fungi and that 25.2% were positive for the bacterial parameters. The most frequent fungal species found were Candida sp. and Aspergillus sp., whereas intestinal enterococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Positive associations were detected among analyzed parameters and country-regions but none among those parameters and sampling period.Regarding threshold values, we propose 15 cfu/g for yeasts, 17 cfu/g for potential pathogenic fungi, 8 cfu/g for dermatophytes. Eighty four cfu/g for coliforms, 250 cfu/g for E. coli, and 100 cfu/g for intestinal enterococci.     

Methods to determine the angular resolution of the HEGRA extended air shower scintillator array

A precise knowledge of the angular resolution of scintillator arrays used to observe extended air showers (EAS) is of key importance in the search for VHE/UHE γ point sources. Four independent methods have been used to determine the mean resolution for which a value of ΔΘ₆₃ of 0.8°(1.0°) at a proton threshold of 50 (40) TeV has been found for the HEGRA EAS-array.     

Application of empirical models to bay-shaped beaches in Portugal

Three models were applied to analyse the planform of bay-shaped Portuguese beaches. They are based on empirical mathematical functions: the logarithmic spiral bay equation, the hyperbolic-tangent bay equation, and the parabolic bay equation. These models were applied to analyse the fitting to the beach planform of 42 beaches on the Portuguese Atlantic coast which was calculated through the validation against the waterline extracted from rectified aerial photographs. The logarithmic spiral model fits well the curved zone of the beaches, in particular small beaches with two headlands. Despite the good fitting of the hyperbolic-tangent model for one headland beach, its process of approximation to the solution was less intuitive than the processes of the other two models, therefore its application was more exhaustive. A comparative analysis between the logarithmic spiral model and the hyperbolic-tangent model revealed the best fit of the first. The application of the parabolic model allowed to conclude that despite the majority of the beaches analysed being in dynamic equilibrium condition due to the high energy wave regime of the Portuguese Atlantic coast, their planform was very close to the planform in static equilibrium condition due to the high dynamics of the coastal environment.     

安徽铜陵地区幔源镁铁质团块研究及其地质意义

幔源岩石包体研究,是认识上地幔岩石圈物质组成、幔源岩浆演化及壳幔动力学过程的重要手段。铜陵地区小铜官山石英二长闪长岩中发育有微粒闪长质包体,并且这些微粒闪长质包体中不均匀地分布着镁铁质团块,三者的形成过程可视为铜陵地区岩浆演化的缩影,为了解本区深部岩浆作用过程提供了有力的证据。在前人研究的基础上,笔者借助电子探针、扫描电镜、电镜能谱和二次飞行时间离子探针(Tof-SIMS)对产于铜陵地区微粒闪长质包体中的镁铁质团块进行了详细的研究,首次获得了一套精确的矿物化学资料和元素分布图,总结了镁铁质团块的特征,并讨论了本区的深部岩浆作用过程。矿物学研究表明,镁铁质团块中的角闪石和辉石均已发生了不同程度的透闪石化和阳起石化蚀变,蚀变过程中,从镁钙闪石到镁角闪石,再到透闪石,随着Si的增加,角闪石呈现出Mg的富集和Ti、Al贫化的特点。团块中的富Cr磁铁矿、Ti磁铁矿和少量的铝直闪石指示了其具有深源性。Tof-SIMS元素分布图显示,透闪石主要由Al、Si、Ca、Sc、V、Cr、Mn、Cu和Sr元素组成,透辉石主要由Si、Mg、Ca、Cu和Rb组成。在铜陵地区,上地幔部分熔融形成一套玄武岩浆,受岩浆底侵作用影响,玄武岩浆上侵,进入下地壳深位岩浆房,与下地壳硅镁层发生同化混染作用,形成一套轻度演化的中基性(辉长质)玄武岩浆,镁铁质团块就是这类中基性玄武岩浆直接结晶形成的。后受构造作用影响,这类中基性玄武岩浆上侵到中地壳岩浆房(12~16 km),与中地壳的变质岩系发生同化混染和结晶分异作用形成一套中性闪长质岩浆,微粒闪长质包体就是这套闪长质岩浆发生结晶分异作用而形成的。镁铁质团块和微粒闪长质包体清楚地解释了铜陵地区深部岩浆作用过程,并有力地证明了铜陵地区中地壳的闪长质岩浆来源于下地壳的壳幔混源岩浆。     

Estimation of spatially distributed soil information: dealing with data shortages in the Western Bug Basin,Ukraine

Integrated watershed models require spatially differentiated soil information. However, in many regions of the world the limited availability of soil data hinders an appropriate simulation of hydro-ecological processes. Such circumstances lead to unsupported statements, poor statistics, misrepresentations, and, ultimately, to bad resource management. The Western Bug catchment in west Ukraine is an example of such a region. In the former Soviet Union, soil classification primarily focused on soils of agricultural importance, whereas, forested, urban, industrial, and shallow soil territories were left underrepresented in the classification and soil maps. Spatially differentiated soil texture data are required to predict soil hydraulic properties using pedotransfer functions (PTFs), along with soil maps. Furthermore, the Ukrainian soil texture scheme does not match the particle size classes commonly used with PTFs. To overcome these shortcomings, a fuzzy logic methodology was applied, based on terrain and vegetation/land use analysis and soil sampling, to close the information gaps. For the application of PTFs, a procedure was tested to estimate missing values of soil texture distribution. Applied methods were evaluated using recent soil surveys, measured soil texture, and water retention properties, while having in consideration the limitations brought by scarce soil data for integrated watershed modelling purposes.     

Coversand and Pleistocene palaeosols in the Landes region,southwestern France

New sections in the coversand of the Landes region, southwestern France, show at least two main depositional phases corresponding to the Upper Pleniglacial and the Lateglacial, which are separated by palaeosols. The lower palaeosol, a gleyic to histic cryosol overlying a net of sand wedges and dated to ca. 23 ¹⁴C ka BP, testifies to a short occurrence of permafrost. Impeded drainage due to the frozen subsoil is assumed to be the main factor involved in lowered aeolian transport and soil formation. Pollen analysis indicates a shrub tundra‐type environment. The overlying coversand unit is associated with small transverse ridges or sheet‐like deposits, and corresponds to the maximal extension of the sands, Upper Pleniglacial in age. An incipient podzol developed on the dunes under a boreal pine forest, and has been dated to 11.5–12 ¹⁴C ka BP, i.e. to the Allerød period. This has been buried by the second coversand unit during the Younger Dryas, typified by abundant denivation features and root imprints. Although preliminary, the chronology of sand deposition in the Landes region appears thus to be roughly similar to that found for the other European coversands, showing that all were the result of similar western European climatic changes, i.e. repeated episodes of increasing aridity related to the Upper Pleniglacial and the Younger Dryas episode. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simplified methodology for the seismic assessment of masonry buildings with RC slabs

The present paper aims to contribute to the knowledge concerning the seismic assessment of load bearing masonry buildings with reinforced concrete slabs. The final goal of the present research was to propose a simple, yet accurate, methodology to assess the seismic safety of existing masonry buildings. The methodology here presented was based on the so-called ICIST/ACSS methodology with major improvements such as the extension to load bearing masonry wall buildings and the consideration of the effects of one of the most common strengthening solutions for masonry walls, here referred to as reinforced plastering mortar, as well as the possibility of considering four levels of increasing refinement: global, by alignment, by wall panel and by wall element. An extended research was performed on the existing methodologies to evaluate the seismic structural risk of load bearing masonry buildings, briefly describing methodologies similar to the one proposed, namely all of those that have in common the fact that they are based in the physical comparison between the resisting and acting shear forces at all storeys and along the two orthogonal horizontal directions. A case study is presented to check the applicability of the proposed methodology. The case study showed that the proposed methodology is relatively simple to apply and has a sufficiently good accuracy when compared with alternative methodologies. The degree of refinement of the analysis (global, by alignment, by wall panel and by wall element) must be taken into consideration and successively more complex analyses may be required when the results of simpler analyses are inconclusive.