Interfacial instability of sand patterns induced by turbulent shear flow

When a turbulent shear flow above a plane sand surface entrains sand grains,it generates a variety of sand patterns.Fluvial sand forms two major interfacial patterns:meso-scale dunes and antidunes,and large-scale bars.Measurements have evidenced that under erosive conditions,meso-scale patterns either change to or coexist with large-scale patterns.However,it remains elusive what exactly drives the switching of interfacial patterns and how the switching occurs.Here,we showdcombing a flow model with a grain transport model,allowing for both the surface and suspended sand fluxes dthat the switching of patterns emerges from the shear-driven complex feedback between grain transport and topographic perturbations.The switching predominantly depends on the magnitudes of the Rouse number and the grain size to undisturbed flow depth ratio.The model offers quantitative predictions of the maximum amplification of sand patterns and unveils a new attraction erepulsion phenomenon.     

The added value of joint PP–PS inversion for reservoir characterization: A case study using Jubarte PRM seismic data (offshore Brazil)

The added value of the joint pre-stack inversion of PP (incident P-wave and reflected P-wave) and PS (incident P-wave and reflected S-wave) seismic data for the time-lapse application is shown. We focus on the application of this technique to the time-lapse (four-dimensional) multicomponent Jubarte field permanent reservoir monitoring seismic data. The joint inversion results are less sensitive to noise in the input data and show a better match with the rock physics models calibrated for the field. Further, joint inversion improves S-impedance estimates and provides a more robust quantitative interpretation, allowing enhanced differentiation between pore pressure and fluid saturation changes, which will be extremely useful for reservoir management. Small changes in reservoir properties are expected in the short time between the time-lapse seismic acquisitions used in the Jubarte project (only 1 year apart). The attempt to recover subtle fourth-dimensional effects via elastic inversion is recurrent in reservoir characterization projects, either due to the small sensitivity of the reservoirs to fluid and pressure changes or the short interval between the acquisitions. Therefore, looking for methodologies that minimize the uncertainty of fourth-dimensional inversion outputs is of fundamental importance. Here, we also show the differences between PP only and joint PP–PS inversion workflows and parameterizations that can be applied in other projects. We show the impact of using multicomponent data as input for elastic seismic inversions in the analysis of the time-lapse differences of the elastic properties. The larger investment in the acquisition and processing of multicomponent seismic data is shown to be justified by the improved results from the fourth-dimensional joint inversion.     

Link between SSZ ophiolite formation, emplacement and arc inception, Northland, New Zealand: U–Pb SHRIMP constraints; Cenozoic SW Pacific tectonic implications

New U–Pb age-data from zircons separated from a Northland ophiolite gabbro yield a mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 31.6 ± 0.2 Ma, providing support for a recently determined 28.3 ± 0.2 Ma SHRIMP age of an associated plagiogranite and  29–26 Ma ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages (n = 9) of basalts of the ophiolite. Elsewhere, Miocene arc-related calc-alkaline andesite dikes which intrude the ophiolitic rocks contain zircons which yield mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 20.1 ± 0.2 and 19.8 ± 0.2 Ma. The ophiolite gabbro and the andesites both contain rare inherited zircons ranging from 122–104 Ma. The Early Cretaceous zircons in the arc andesites are interpreted as xenocrysts from the Mt. Camel basement terrane through which magmas of the Northland Miocene arc lavas erupted. The inherited zircons in the ophiolite gabbros suggest that a small fraction of this basement was introduced into the suboceanic mantle by subduction and mixed with mantle melts during ophiolite formation.

We postulate that the tholeiitic suite of the ophiolite represents the crustal segment of SSZ lithosphere (SSZL) generated in the southern South Fiji Basin (SFB) at a northeast-dipping subduction zone that was initiated at about 35 Ma. The subduction zone nucleated along a pre-existing transform boundary separating circa 45–20 Ma oceanic lithosphere to the north and west of the Northland Peninsula from nascent back arc basin lithosphere of the SFB. Construction of the SSZL propagated southward along the transform boundary as the SFB continued to unzip to the southeast. After subduction of a large portion of oceanic lithosphere by about 26 Ma and collision of the SSZL with New Zealand, compression between the Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate was taken up along a new southwest-dipping subduction zone behind the SSZL. Renewed volcanism began in the oceanic forearc at 25 Ma producing boninitic-like, SSZ and within-plate alkalic and calc-alkaline rocks. Rocks of these types temporally overlap ophiolite emplacement and subsequent Miocene continental arc construction.     

Optimization of a Photo‐assisted Fenton Oxidation Process: A Statistical Model for MDF Effluent Treatment

In the present study, the effects of initial COD (chemical oxygen demand), initial pH, Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ molar ratio and UV contact time on COD removal from medium density fiberboard (MDF) wastewater using photo‐assisted Fenton oxidation treatment were investigated. In order to optimize the removal efficiency, batch operations were carried out. The influence of the aforementioned parameters on COD removal efficiency was studied using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal conditions for maximum COD removal efficiency from MDF wastewater under experimental conditions were obtained at initial COD of 4000 mg/L, Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ molar ratio of 0.11, initial solution pH of 6.5 and UV contact time of 70 min. The obtained results for maximum COD removal efficiency of 96% revealed that photo‐assisted Fenton oxidation is very effective for treating MDF wastewater.     

Study on elastic response of structures to near-fault ground motions through record decomposition

Accelerograms recorded near active faults have some important characteristics that make them different from those recorded in far-fault regions. High-frequency components in acceleration records and long-period velocity pulses are among notable specifications of such ground motions. In this paper, a moving average filtering with appropriate cut-off frequency has been used to decompose the near-fault ground motions into two components having different frequency contents: first, Pulse-Type Record (PTR) that possesses long-period pulses; second, the relatively high-frequency BackGround Record (BGR), which does not include large velocity pulses. Comparing the results with those extracted through wavelet analysis shows that moving average filter is an appropriate and efficient tool for near-fault records decomposition. The method is applied to decompose a suite of 91 selected near-fault records and the elastic response of structures is examined through their response to the decomposed parts. The results emphasizes that in contrast with ordinary far-fault earthquake records, response spectra of near-fault ground motions typically have two distinct local peaks, which are representatives of the high- and low-frequency components, i.e., BGR and PTR, respectively. Moreover, a threshold period is identified below which the response of structures is dominated by BGR while PTR controls the response of structures with periods longer than this period.     

Prediction of Rock Abrasivity Index (RAI) and Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of Granite Building Stones Using Nondestructive Tests

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Rock abrasivity index (RAI) and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) are two key parameters for assessing abrasivity and durability of building stones,...     

Laboratory and field performance of recycled aggregate base in a seasonally cold region

The objective of this project was to characterize the freeze-thaw properties of recycled concrete (RCA) and asphalt (RAP) as unbound base and to assess how they behaved in the field for nearly 8 years. This paper includes an examination of existing information, laboratory studies of freeze-thaw behavior, and evaluation of data from MnROAD field-test sections in a seasonally cold region, i.e., in Minnesota, USA. Test sections were constructed using recycled materials in the granular base layers at the MnROAD test facility. One test section included 100% RAP, another 100% RCA, a third one a 50/50 blend of RCA/natural aggregate, and a fourth one only natural aggregate (Class 5) as a control. The stiffness (i.e., elastic modulus) was monitored during construction and throughout the pavement life by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, along with the variation of temperatures and moisture regimes in the pavement to determine their effects on pavement performance. The resilient modulus of each material was determined by bench-scale testing in accordance with NCHRP 1-28a, as well as by field-scale tests incorporating a falling-weight deflectometer. Specimens were subjected to as many as 20 cycles of freeze-thaw in the laboratory, and the change in their resilient modulus was measured. In the field-test sections constructed with the same materials as the base course, temperature, moisture, and field modulus (from falling-weight deflectometer tests) were monitored seasonally for nearly 8 years. From the temperatures in the base course layer, the number of freeze-thaw cycles experienced in the field was determined for each test section. Inferences were made relative to modulus change versus freeze-thaw cycles. Conclusions were drawn for long-term field performances of the recycled base (RAB) in comparison to natural aggregate.     

Synchronising geometric representations for map mashups using relative positioning and Linked Data

Map mashups, as a common way of presenting geospatial information on the Web, are generally created by spatially overlaying thematic information on top of various base maps. This simple overlay approach often raises geometric deficiencies due to geometric uncertainties in the data. This issue is particularly apparent in a multi-scale context because the thematic data seldom have synchronised level of detail with the base map. In this study, we propose, develop, implement and evaluate a relative positioning approach based on shared geometries and relative coordinates to synchronise geometric representations for map mashups through several scales. To realise the relative positioning between datasets, we adopt a Linked Data–based technical framework in which the data are organised according to ontologies that are designed based on the GeoSPARQL vocabulary. A prototype system is developed to demonstrate the feasibility and usability of the relative positioning approach. The results show that the approach synchronises and integrates the geometries of thematic data and the base map effectively, and the thematic data are automatically tailored for multi-scale visualisation. The proposed framework can be used as a new way of modelling geospatial data on the Web, with merits in terms of both data visualisation and querying.