Earth science test suites to evaluate grid tools and middleware—examples for grid data access tools

The Earth Science (ES) community has three major IT related concerns: Modeling (computing intensive), exploitation of datasets, and production of large shared datasets. All could be accomplishable using Grid. Different Grid middleware solutions exist and are being developed. In DEGREE (Dissemination and Exploitation of Grids in Earth sciencE) the aim was to disseminate and promote uptake of Grid in ES and to create a bridge between ES and Grid communities. DEGREE identified key ES requirements and has disseminated these to Grid projects, evaluated Grid middleware tools and standards regarding ES requirements and provided feedback to Grid developers. In order to convey requirements to the Grid community, test suite specifications were developed. Test suites provide real applications for testing functional and non-functional aspects of Grid, contrary to typical whiteboard tests or use cases. In this paper the GOMEVAL test suite is explained in detail and the results obtained are discussed.     

The role of H2O during crystallization of primitive arc magmas under uppermost mantle conditions and genesis of igneous pyroxenites: an experimental study

Exposed, subduction-related magmatic arcs commonly include sections of ultramafic plutonic rocks that are composed of dunite, wehrlite, and pyroxenite. In this experimental study we examined the effects of variable H₂O concentration on the phase proportions and compositions of igneous pyroxenites and related ultramafic plutonic rocks. Igneous crystallization experiments simulated natural, arc magma compositions at 1.2 GPa, corresponding to conditions of the arc lower crust. Increasing H₂O concentration in the liquid changes the crystallization sequence. Low H₂O concentration in the liquid stabilizes plagioclase earlier than garnet and amphibole while derivative liquids remain quartz normative. Higher H₂O contents (>3%) suppress plagioclase and lead to crystallization of amphibole and garnet thereby producing derivative corundum normative andesite liquids. The experiments show that alumina in the liquid correlates positively with Al in pyroxene, as long as no major aluminous phase crystallizes. Extrapolation of this correlation to natural pyroxenites in the Talkeetna and Kohistan arc sections indicates that clinopyroxenes with low Ca-Tschermaks component represent near-liquidus phases of primitive, Si-rich hydrous magmas. Density calculations on the residual solid assemblages indicate that ultramafic plutonic rocks are always denser than upper mantle rocks in the order of 0.05 to 0.20 g/cm³. The combination of high pressure and high H₂O concentration in the liquid suppresses plagioclase crystallization, so that ultramafic plutonic rocks form over a significant proportion of the crystallization interval (up to 50% crystallization of ultramafic rocks from initial, mantle-derived liquids). This suggests that in subduction-related magmatic arcs the seismic Moho might be shallower than the petrologic crust/mantle transition. It is therefore possible that calculations based on seismic data have overestimated the normative plagioclase content (e.g., SiO₂, Al₂O₃) of igneous crust in arcs.     

Site classification of Turkish national strong-motion stations

Since 1973, the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs of Turkey has deployed several strong-motion accelerographs at selected sites. Within the framework of the project entitled Compilation of National Strong Ground Motion Database in Accordance with International Standards, site conditions were investigated within the upper 30-m depth by surface seismic and standard penetration tests. Preliminary characterization of the sites is made by making use of both geophysical and geotechnical criteria of NEHRP Provisions and Eurocode-8 site classification systems. The liquefaction susceptibility of those sites which comprise saturated cohesionless deposits is also determined. Mean shear-wave velocity, mean penetration resistance, site class, and liquefaction susceptibility of each site are tabulated. The Turkish strong-motion database supplemented by detailed information on site conditions is a valuable source of information particularly for those studies that put emphasis on the relationship between site conditions and strong-motion parameters.     

Investigating Groundwater‐Lake Interactions by Hydraulic Heads and a Water Balance

Discharge of groundwater into lakes (lacustrine groundwater discharge, LGD) can play a major role in water balances of lakes. Unfortunately, studies often neglect this input path because of methodological difficulties in its determination. Direct measurements of LGD are labor‐consuming and prone to error. The present study uses both spatially variable hydraulic‐head data and meteorological data to estimate groundwater input by LGD and lake water output through infiltration. The study sites are two shallow, groundwater‐fed lakes without any surface inflows or outflows. Horizontally interpolated groundwater heads were combined with lake water levels to obtain vertical hydraulic gradients between the aquifer and the lake, which are separated by a thick layer of lake bed sediment which has a much lower hydraulic conductivity than the underlying aquifer. By fitting the hydraulic gradient to the results of a simple mass balance and considering the process of clogging, we were able to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the lake bed sediments. We calculated groundwater inputs by LGD and lake water outputs by infiltration on an annual basis. Although our method requires several assumptions, the results are reasonable and provide useful information about the exchange between the aquifer and the lake, which can, for example, be used for the calculation of nutrient mass balances.