Search results for "technical"
showing 10 items of 955 documents
Rapid conversion of elastic energy into plastic shear heating during incipient necking of the lithosphere
1998
An important and novel mechanism for ductile failure of the lithosphere is identified here, which is intrinsic to the thermal-mechanical feedback in a temperature dependent plastic body with coupled elastic fields. Both a temperature-dependent power-law visco-elasto-plastic rheology and a temperature-dependent elasto-plastic rheology are employed to study in a self-consistent fashion the deformation of the lithosphere subject to extension by means of a two-dimensional, finite-element code. A structural perturbation initially localizes elasto-plastic deformation only in its immediate vicinity. However, after 800,000 years have elapsed the localized zone of deformation takes off in a ‘crack-l…
Discussion on 'Estimating depth-averaged velocities in rough channels'
2002
In this short communication the four estimate criteria of the depth-averaged local velocity proposed by Byrd et al. (Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 2000, Vol. 25, pp. 167-173) are compared both with the three-point method of Bathurst and with the average velocity obtained by integrating the velocity profile (FPa2) suggested by Ferro and Pecoraro (Water Resources Research, 2000, vol. 36, pp. 2761-2770). The comparison was carried out using 84 velocity profiles measured by an acoustic Doppler velocimeter in a rectangular flume with a gravel bed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
A regional-scale discontinuity in western Sicily revealed by a multidisciplinary approach: A new piece for understanding the geodynamic puzzle of the…
2015
The results of an integrated stratigraphic, structural, geophysical, and geochemical study reveal the presence of a crustal discontinuity in western Sicily that, at present, runs roughly N-S along a band from San Vito Lo Capo to Sciacca (SVCS). The boundary between the two zones of this discontinuity is nearly orthogonal to the main thrust propagation of the Sicilian thrust-and-fold belt. The different Permian to Tertiary sedimentary evolution recorded by the two zones appears related to this discontinuity, with thick carbonate platforms in the western sector facing deep-water successions in the eastern one. The presence of Upper Triassic reefs, huge megabreccias bodies, and widespread subm…
Fluid geochemistry of the San Vicente geothermal field (El Salvador)
1997
The volcano Chichontepeque (San Vicente) is one of the nine recent volcanoes making up the El Salvador sector of the WNW-ESE-trending active Central American volcanic belt. Thermal activity is at present reduced to a few thermal springs and fumaroles. The most important manifestations (Agua Agria and Los Infernillos Ciegos) are boiling springs and fumaroles located on the northern slope of the volcano (850 m a.s.l.) along two radial faults. The chloride acid waters of the Los Infernillos area are partly fed by a deep hydrothermal aquifer (crossed at 1100–1300 m by a geothermal exploration well), which finds a preferential path to the surface through the radial fault system. C02 is the most …
Melt infiltration of the lower lithosphere beneath the Tanzania craton and the Albertine rift inferred from S receiver functions
2012
[1] The transition between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere is subject to numerous contemporary studies as its nature is still poorly understood. The thickest lithosphere is associated with old cratons and platforms and it has been shown that seismic investigations may fail to image the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary in these areas. Instead, several recent studies have proposed a mid-lithospheric discontinuity of unknown origin existing under several cratons. In this study we investigate the Tanzania craton in East Africa which is enclosed by the eastern and western branches of the East African Rift System. We present evidence from S receiver functions for two consecutive discontin…
Early warning thresholds for partially saturated slopes in volcanic ashes
2013
Rainfall-induced landslides in steep soil slopes of volcanic origin are a major threat to human lives and infrastructure. In the context of constructing early warning systems in regions where extensive data on landslide occurrences and associated rainfall are inexistent, physically-based tools offer the possibility to establish thresholds for measurable field quantities. In this paper, a combined finite element infinite slope model is presented to study the transient hydraulic response of volcanic ash slopes to a series of rainfall events and to estimate seasonal safety factors. Furthermore, analytical considerations of partially saturated infinite slopes are made to define capillary stress…
Evaluation of cliff recession in the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento (Sicily)
2015
Abstract The sacral complex of the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, added in the UNESCO Heritage Site List, stands over the crest of a rigid calcarenite cuesta, which overlies a layer of partially saturated (S = 6–12%) carbonate sand. In turn, the sand stratum lies on a thick stratum of clays. The environment is highly prone to landslides as highlighted by several previous studies that identify the undermining of slopes and the discontinuity pattern, occurred in the late Neotectonic phase, as causes of cliff failure. For wider and less exposed areas, where the undermining local instabilities can be present because of the specific morphology of the site, a recent research has proposed a new in…
Microstructure, porosity and mineralogy around fractures in Olkiluoto bedrock
2012
3D distributions of minerals and porosities were determined for rock-core samples that included water-conducting fractures. The analysis of these samples was performed using conventional petrography methods, C-14-PMMA porosity analysis and X-ray tomography. It seems that the properties of rock around a water-conducting fracture depend on so many uncorrelated factors that no clear pattern emerged even for rock samples with a given type of fracture. We can conclude, however, that the present combination of methods can be used to infer novel structural information about alteration zones adjacent to fracture surfaces.
Fragmentation during Rock Falls: Two Italian Case Studies of Hard and Soft Rocks
2008
In recent years, rock fall phenomena in Italy have received considerable attention for risk mitigation through in situ observations and experimental data. This paper reports the study conducted at Camaldoli Hill, in the urban area of Naples, and at Monte Pellegrino, Palermo, Italy. The rocks involved are volcanic Neapolitan yellow tuff (NYT) in the former area and dolomitic limestone in the latter. Both rocks, even though with different strength characteristics, have shown a significant tendency towards rock fragmentation during run out. This behavior was first investigated by comparing the volumes of removable blocks on the cliff faces (V 0) and fallen blocks on the slopes (V f). It was as…
Forward logistic regression for earth-flow landslide susceptibility assessment in the Platani river basin (southern Sicily, Italy)
2013
Forward logistic regression has allowed us to derive an earth-flow susceptibility model for the Tumarrano river basin, which was defined by modeling the statistical relationships between an archive of 760 events and a set of 20 predictors. For each landslide in the inventory, a landslide identification point (LIP) was automatically produced as corresponding to the highest point along the boundary of the landslide polygons, and unstable conditions were assigned to cells at a distance up to 8 m. An equal number of stable cells (out of landslides) was then randomly extracted and appended to the LIPs to prepare the dataset for logistic regression. A model building strategy was applied to enlarg…