Effective stress analyses of liquefaction-induced deformation in river dikes

A series of effective stress analyses is carried out on the seismic performance of river dikes based on the case histories during the 1993 Hokkaido-Nansei-oki and 1995 Hyogoken-Nambu earthquakes in Japan. Seven case histories selected for the analyses involve a crest settlement ranging from none to 2.7 m in the dikes 3–6 m high with evidence of liquefaction at foundation soil. The effective stress model used is based on a multiple shear mechanism and was developed by one of the authors. The soil parameters are evaluated based on the site investigation and laboratory test results. The results of the analyses are basically consistent with the observed performance of the river dikes. In particular, the effective stress model shows a reasonable capability to reproduce the varying degree of settlements depending on the geotechnical conditions of foundation soils beneath the dikes. The analyses also indicate that the effect of a cohesive soil layer mixed with the liquefiable sand layers beneath the dikes can be a primary factor for reducing the liquefaction-induced deformation of dikes.     

Electric conductivity of Fe2SiO4–Fe3O4 spinel solid solutions

 The spinel solid solution was found to exist in the whole range between Fe₃O₄ and γ-Fe₂SiO₄ at over 10 GPa. The resistivity of Fe_{3− x} Si _x O₄ (0.0<x<0.288) was measured in the temperature range of 80∼300 K by the AC impedance method. Electron hopping between Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺ in the octahedral site of iron-rich phases gives a large electric conductivity at room temperature. The activation energy of the electron hopping becomes larger with increasing γ-Fe₂SiO₄ component. A nonlinear change in electric conductivity is not simply caused by the statistical probability of Fe³⁺–Fe²⁺ electron hopping with increasing the total Si content. This is probably because a large number of Si⁴⁺ ions occupies the octahedral site and the adjacent Fe²⁺ keeping the local electric neutrality around Si⁴⁺ makes a cluster, which generates a local deformation by Si substitution. The temperature dependence of the conductivity of solid solutions indicates the Verwey transition temperature, which decreases from 124(±2) K at x=0 (Fe₃O₄) to 102(±5) K at x=0.288, and the electric conductivity gap at the transition temperature decreases with Si⁴⁺ substitution. Received: 15 March 2000 / Accepted: 4 September 2000     

Physical and physico - chemical theory of generation,upward transfer,differentiation, and explosion of magmas

Bulletin of Volcanology -     

Abundance, Biomass, Production and Trophic Roles of Micro- and Net-Zooplankton in Ise Bay, Central Japan, in Winter

We investigated the geographical variations in abundance and biomass of the major taxonomic groups of micro- and net-zooplankton along a transect through Ise Bay, central Japan, and neighboring Pacific Ocean in February 1995. The results were used to estimate their secondary and tertiary production rates and assess their trophic roles in this eutrophic embayment in winter. Ise Bay nourished a much higher biomass of both micro- and net-zooplankton (mean: 3.79 and 13.9 mg C m^–3, respectively) than the offshore area (mean: 0.76 and 4.47 mg C m^–3, respectively). In the bay, tintinnid ciliates, naked ciliates and copepod nauplii accounted for, on average, 69, 18 and 13% of the microzooplankton biomass, respectively. Of net-zooplankton biomass, copepods (i.e. Acartia, Calanus, Centropages, Microsetella and Paracalanus) formed the majority (mean: 63%). Average secondary production rates of micro- and net-zooplankton in the bay were 1.19 and 1.87 mg C m^–3d^–1 (or 23.1 and 36.4 mg C m^–2d^–1), respectively, and average tertiary production rate of net-zooplankton was 0.75 mg C m^–3d^–1 (or 14.6 mg C m^–2d^–1). Available data approximated average phytoplankton primary production rate as 1000 mg C m^–2d^–1 during our study period. The transfer efficiency from primary production to zooplankton secondary production was 6.0%, and the efficiency from secondary production to tertiary production was 25%. The amount of food required to support the zooplankton secondary production corresponded to 18% of the phytoplankton primary production or only 1.7% of the phytoplankton biomass, demonstrating that the grazing impact of herbivorous zooplankton was minor in Ise Bay in winter.     

River processes after rapid valley-filling due to large landslides

A three-stage model is proposed to describe river processes after rapid valley-filling due to large landslides, based on surveys on the Shirayuki river basin in northeast Japan. At Stage I slightly entrenched debris avalanche deposits get covered with fluvial sediments. At Stage II the river along the upper reaches deeply cuts into fill deposits while fan aggradation occurs along the lower reaches. At Stage III river incision occurs along all the courses. This sequence of river processes reflects the changing amounts of post-landslide debris supply from the landslide scar and river banks. The three-stage model is also applicable to other examples of post-landslide river processes, although some lack the Stage I. Morphometric analyses suggest that the presence or absence of the Stage I depends on the ratio of debris supply from the landslide scar to river competence of sediment delivery.     

Petroloy of the Taga Volcano Group,Izu Peninsula,Central Japan

The Taga Volcano Group of the Izu Peninsula is divided into four volcanoes: Older Taga, Atami, Shimo-Taga and Himenosawa. Each volcano consists of basalt-andesite lavas and volcaniclastic sediments, mainly of low alkali tholeiite composition.The activity of the Shimo-Taga Volcano is divided into three stages (early, middle and later). Rocks of the first two stages consist of lavas and volcaniclastic sediments of olivine basalt, phyric and aphyric basaltic andesite. The later stage rocks consist of volcaniclastic sediments which were erupted as mudflow deposits.Basalts and andesites of the first two stages are considered to have been derived from a zoned magma chamber. They were produced by fractional crystallization, which involved the gravitational separation of plagioclase, olivine and/or pyroxene crystals. Eruption of aphyric and phyric basaltic andesite from the upper part of the chamber occurred first, followed by olivine basalt from lower parts of the chamber.

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Zusammenfassung Die Taga-Vulkan Gruppe besteht aus dem älteren Taga, dem Atami, dem Shimo-Taga und dem Himenosawa Vulkan. Jeder dieser Vulkane wird aus basaltisch-andesitischen Laven und vulkano-klastischen Sedimenten, hauptsächlich subalkalisch tholeiitischer Zusammensetzung, aufgebaut.Die Eruptionstätigkeit des Shimo-Taga Vulkans läßt sich in drei Phasen, eine Früh-, Mittel- und Spätphase untergliedern. Laven und vulkanoklastische Sedimente der ersten beiden Phasen bestehen aus Olivinbasalten, sowie aus basaltischen Andesiten mit porphyrischem und nichtporphyrischem Gefüge. Während des letzten Stadiums wurden vulkanoklastische Sedimente in Form von vulkanoklastischen Schlammströmen eruptiert.Die Basalte und Andesite der ersten beiden Stadien werden als Produkte einer zonierten Magmenkammer gedeutet. Sie entstanden durch fraktionierte Kristallisation und durch die gravitative Abtrennung von Plagioklas, Olivin und/oder Pyroxenkristallen. Der Eruption der porphyrischen und nichtporphyrischen basaltischen Andesite aus dem obersten Teil der Magmakammer folgte die Eruption von Olivinbasalten aus dem tieferen Teil der Magmakammer.

     

Evaluation of the performance of a suspension isolation system subjected to strong ground motion

This study is concerned with a new isolation device called a Suspended Pendulum Isolation (SPI) system here. Particular attention is given to evaluate the dynamic behaviour of the system under substantial ground motions including the El Centro 1940, Hachinohe 1968 and Kobe 1995 earthquakes. Shaking-table tests have been carried out for a 4 25-scaled model comprising a test structure supported on the SPI system with lead damper. Several yield strengths for the lead damper are examined to investigate its properly designed dimensions. Experimental results show that the SPI system with lead damper has a substantial capability to decrease either peak acceleration or peak base (bearing) displacement responses for broad-band frequency excitations. It also confirms that maximum-storey drift index of isolated structure has been dropped to about one-sixth of its corresponding value at fixed-base condition under strong level of predominant excitation along with considerable decrease of peak acceleration. A non-linear analytical model for an MDOF shear building has been also developed by utilizing the fourth-order Runge–Kutta algorithm. Comparison of analytical and experimental time-history responses for all of the excitations indicates that there is a good agreement in both peak values and shape pattern of the results. Moreover, SPI with an appropriate yield strength of lead damper creates only a very small permanent displacement after strong excitation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.