Seismic performance evaluation of steel arch bridges against major earthquakes. Part 1: dynamic analysis approach

In this study the inelastic behavior of steel arch bridges subjected to strong ground motions from major earthquakes is investigated by dynamic analyses of a typical steel arch bridge using a three‐dimensional (3D) analytical model, since checking seismic performance against severe earthquakes is not usually performed when designing such kinds of bridge. The bridge considered is an upper‐deck steel arch bridge having a reinforced concrete (RC) deck, steel I‐section girders and steel arch ribs. The input ground motions are accelerograms which are modified ground motions based on the records from the 1995 Hyogoken‐Nanbu earthquake. Both the longitudinal and transverse dynamic characteristics of the bridge are studied by investigation of time‐history responses of the main parameters. It is found that seismic responses are small when subjected to the longitudinal excitation, but significantly large under the transverse ground motion due to plasticization formed in some segments such as arch rib ends and side pier bases where axial force levels are very high. Finally, a seismic performance evaluation method based on the response strain index is proposed for such steel bridge structures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends,drivers and impacts of changes in swidden cultivation in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers: A global assessment

This meta-analysis of land-cover transformations of the past 10–15 years in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers world-wide shows that swidden agriculture decreases in landscapes with access to local, national and international markets that encourage cattle production and cash cropping, including biofuels. Conservation policies and practices also accelerate changes in swidden by restricting forest clearing and encouraging commercial agriculture. However, swidden remains important in many frontier areas where farmers have unequal or insecure access to investment and market opportunities, or where multi-functionality of land uses has been preserved as a strategy to adapt to current ecological, economic and political circumstances. In some areas swidden remains important simply because intensification is not a viable choice, for example when population densities and/or food market demands are low. The transformation of swidden landscapes into more intensive land uses has generally increased household incomes, but has also led to negative effects on the social and human capital of local communities to varying degrees. From an environmental perspective, the transition from swidden to other land uses often contributes to permanent deforestation, loss of biodiversity, increased weed pressure, declines in soil fertility, and accelerated soil erosion. Our prognosis is that, despite the global trend towards land use intensification, in many areas swidden will remain part of rural landscapes as the safety component of diversified systems, particularly in response to risks and uncertainties associated with more intensive land use systems.     

Paleomagnetic study of Cretaceous rocks of Peru, South America: Evidence for rotation of the Andes

Paleomagnetic data for the Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks in the Andean region of Peru are given. Reliable paleomagnetic field directions were obtained for three Cretaceous (Albian to Cenomanian) formations from calcareous sediments in northern Peru. Stable remanent magnetization directions were also derived from twelve Cretaceous lava flows and dikes in coastal Peru. Paleomagnetic data of the same age from the stable areas of South America such as Brazil demonstrate that the paleomagnetic poles are nearly coincident with the present pole, but Peruvian paleomagnetic directions studied here showed several tens of degrees of counterclockwise declination shifts. This suggests counterclockwise tectonic rotation of an extensive block which includes the whole of Andean Peru.     

Extension of a polar ionospheric current to the nightside equator

A detailed analysis of rapid-run magnetograms from Guam (geomagnetic latitude = 4.2°) revealed that there are two kinds of geomagnetic sudden commencement (SC) observed in nighttime. One is the ordinary SC consisting of a main impulse only which has a smooth rise of the H-component. The other is a superposition by a small positive impulse on the very beginning part of the smooth rise of the main impulse and consequently the SC starts with a small stepwise increase of the H-component. The latter type of SC occurs between 20 and 08 h L.T. and its occurrence rate takes the maximum value of about 50% around 03 h L.T. Corresponding magnetograms from a dayside equatorial station (Huancayo, geomagnetic latitude = ?0.7°) were examined and a good correlation was found between the stepwise SC at the nightside (Guam) and SC¹ with a preliminary reverse impulse (PRI) at the dayside (Huancayo). Since PRI observed at the dayside equator may be interpreted as an extension of an ionospheric current due to an dusk-to-dawn electric field impressed on the polar ionosphere, our results show that a polar originating ionospheric current can extend to the nightside equator and produce a small but observable magnetic effect in spite of much reduced nighttime ionospheric conductivity.     

Unstable kinetic Alfvén wave in partially ionized plasma

The stability of kinetic Alfven waves is discussed for a partially ionized plasma with a flux of ionizing electrons which balance the plasma particle losses. Accidental electromagnetic perturbations are shown to be unstable due to the energy change of ionizing electrons.     

Sound velocity and density of liquid Ni68S32 under pressure using ultrasonic and X-ray absorption with tomography methods

A new experimental setup for simultaneous P-wave velocity (V_P) and density (ρ) measurements for liquid alloys is developed using ultrasonic and X-ray absorption methods combined with X-ray tomography at high pressures and high temperatures. The new setup allows us to directly determine adiabatic bulk moduli (K_S) and to discuss the correlation between the V_P and ρ of the liquid sample. We measured V_P and ρ of liquid Ni₆₈S₃₂ up to 5.6 GPa and 1045 K using this technique. The effect of pressure on the V_P and ρ values of liquid Ni₆₈S₃₂ is similar to that of liquid Fe₅₇S₄₃. (Both compositions correspond to near-eutectic ones.) The obtained K_S values are well fitted to the finite strain equation with a $K_{{\text{S}}_0}$ value (K_S at ambient pressure) of 31.1 GPa and a dK_S/dP value of 8.44. The measured V_P was found to increase linearly with increasing ρ, as approximated by the relationship: V_P [m/s] = 1.29 ρ [kg/m³] – 5726, suggesting that liquid Ni–S follows an empirical linear relationship, Birch's law. The dV_P/dρ slope is similar between Ni₆₈S₃₂ and Fe₅₇S₄₃ liquids, while the V_P–ρ plot of liquid Ni–S is markedly different from that of liquid Fe–S, which indicates that the effect of Ni on Birch's law is important for understanding the V_P–ρ relation of planetary and Moon's molten cores.     

Effect of a uniform magnetic field on nonlinear magnetocenvection in a rotating fluid spherical shell

Abstract

Dynamic interaction between magnetic field and fluid motion is studied through a numerical experiment of nonlinear three-dimensional magnetoconvection in a rapidly rotating spherical fluid shell to which a uniform magnetic field parallel to its spin axis is applied. The fluid shell is heated by internal heat sources to maintain thermal convection. The mean value of the magnetic Reynolds number in the fluid shell is 22.4 and 10 pairs of axially aligned vortex rolls are stably developed. We found that confinement of magnetic flux into anti-cyclonic vortex rolls was crucial on an abrupt change of the mode of magnetoconvection which occurred at Δ = 1 ～ 2, where A is the Elsasser number. After the mode change, the fluid shell can store a large amount of magnetic flux in itself by changing its convection style, and the magnetostrophic balance among the Coriolis, Lorentz and pressure forces is established. Furthermore, the toroidal/poloidal ratio of the induced magnetic energy becomes less than unity, and the magnetized anti-cyclones are enlarged due to the effect of the magnetic force. Using these key ideas, we investigated the causes of the mode change of magnetoconvection. Considering relatively large magnetic Reynolds number and a rapid rotation rate of this model, we believe that these basic ideas used to interpret the present numerical experiment can be applied to the dynamics in the Earth's and other planetary cores.