A method for extracting the preseismic gravity anomalies over the Tibetan Plateau based on the maximum shear strain using GRACE data

The occurrence of earthquakes is closely related to the crustal geotectonic movement and the migration of mass,which consequently cause changes in gravity.The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment(GRACE)satellite data can be used to detect gravity changes associated with large earthquakes.However,previous GRACE satellite-based seismic gravity-change studies have focused more on coseismic gravity changes than on preseismic gravity changes.Moreover,the noise of the north–south stripe in GRACE data is difficult to eliminate,thereby resulting in the loss of some gravity information related to tectonic activities.To explore the preseismic gravity anomalies in a more refined way,we first propose a method of characterizing gravity variation based on the maximum shear strain of gravity,inspired by the concept of crustal strain.The offset index method is then adopted to describe the gravity anomalies,and the spatial and temporal characteristics of gravity anomalies before earthquakes are analyzed at the scales of the fault zone and plate,respectively.In this work,experiments are carried out on the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas,and the following findings are obtained:First,from the observation scale of the fault zone,we detect the occurrence of large-area gravity anomalies near the epicenter,oftentimes about half a year before an earthquake,and these anomalies were distributed along the fault zone.Second,from the observation scale of the plate,we find that when an earthquake occurred on the Tibetan Plateau,a large number of gravity anomalies also occurred at the boundary of the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian Plate.Moreover,the aforementioned experiments confirm that the proposed method can successfully capture the preseismic gravity anomalies of large earthquakes with a magnitude of less than 8,which suggests a new idea for the application of gravity satellite data to earthquake research.

The Micro-Scale Mechanism of Metal Mine Tailings Thickening Concentration Improved by Shearing in Gravity Thickener

Higher concentration is beneficial for the Paste and Thickened Tailings(PTT)operation in metal mine.Partial paste thickeners are produced lower density underflow.Flocculated tailings are intended to form a water entrapped network structure in thickener,which is detrimental to underflow concentration.In this study,the continuous thickening experiment was carried out for ultra-fine tungsten tailings to study the influence of rake shearing on underflow.The micro pores structure and seepage flow in tailings bed before and after shearing are studied by CT and simulation approach to reveal the shearing enhancement mechanism of thickening process.The results shown that,the underflow concentration is increased from 61.4 wt%to 69.6 wt%by rake shearing in a pilot scale thickener,the porosity decreased from 46.48%to 37.46%.The entrapped water discharged from sticks structure more than sphere spaces.In items of seepage,after shearing,the seepage flow channel of tailings underflow is becoming longer,which caused the decreasing average flow rate decreases and absolute permeability.The absolute permeability is negatively correlated with tortuosity.The rake shearing can destroy the flocs structure;change the effective stress to increase the concentration.Higher underflow concentration improves the waste recycling and water recovery rate,especially for arid areas.

Prediction of the undrained shear strength of remolded soil with non-linear regression,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network

This study aims to predict the undrained shear strength of remolded soil samples using non-linear regression analyses,fuzzy logic,and artificial neural network modeling.A total of 1306 undrained shear strength results from 230 different remolded soil test settings reported in 21 publications were collected,utilizing six different measurement devices.Although water content,plastic limit,and liquid limit were used as input parameters for fuzzy logic and artificial neural network modeling,liquidity index or water content ratio was considered as an input parameter for non-linear regression analyses.In non-linear regression analyses,12 different regression equations were derived for the prediction of undrained shear strength of remolded soil.Feed-Forward backpropagation and the TANSIG transfer function were used for artificial neural network modeling,while the Mamdani inference system was preferred with trapezoidal and triangular membership functions for fuzzy logic modeling.The experimental results of 914 tests were used for training of the artificial neural network models,196 for validation and 196 for testing.It was observed that the accuracy of the artificial neural network and fuzzy logic modeling was higher than that of the non-linear regression analyses.Furthermore,a simple and reliable regression equation was proposed for assessments of undrained shear strength values with higher coefficients of determination.

Dynamic shear modulus of undisturbed soil under different consolidation ratios and its effects on surface ground motion

The dynamic shear modulus for three types of undisturbed soil under different consolidation ratios is presented by using the resonant column test method. Its effects on surface ground motion is illustrated by calculation. The test results indicate that the power function is a suitable form for describing the relationship between the ratio of the maximum dynamic shear modulus due to anisotropic and isotropic consolidations and the increment of the consolidation ratio. When compared to sand, the increment of the maximum dynamic shear modulus for undisturbed soil due to anisotropic consolidation is much larger. Using a one-dimensional equivalent linearization method, the earthquake influence factor and the characteristic period of the surface acceleration are calculated for two soil layers subjected to several typical earthquake waves. The calculated results show that the difference in nonlinear properties due to different consolidation ratios is generally not very notable, but the degree of its influence on the surface acceleration spectrum is remarkable for the occurrence of strong earthquakes. When compared to isotropic consolidation, the consideration of actual anisotropic consolidation causes the characteristic period to decrease and the earthquake influence factor to increase.

Investigating the Dominant Source for the Generation of Gravity Waves during Indian Summer Monsoon Using Ground-based Measurements

Over the tropics, convection, wind shear （i.e., vertical and horizontal shear of wind and/or geostrophic adjustment comprising spontaneous imbalance in jet streams） and topography are the major sources for the generation of gravity waves. During the summer monsoon season （June August） over the Indian subcontinent, convection and wind shear coexist. To determine the dominant source of gravity waves during monsoon season, an experiment was conducted using mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere （MST） radar situated at Gadanki （13.5°N, 79.2°E）, a tropical observatory in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. MST radar was operated continuously for 72 h to capture high-frequency gravity waves. During this time, a radiosonde was released every 6 h in addition to the regular launch （once daily to study low-frequency gravity waves） throughout the season. These two data sets were utilized effectively to characterize the jet stream and the associated gravity waves. Data available from collocated instruments along with satellite-based brightness temperature （TBB） data were utilized to characterize the convection in and around Gadanki. Despite the presence of two major sources of gravity wave generation （i.e., convection and wind shear） during the monsoon season, wind shear （both vertical shear and geostrophic adjustment） contributed the most to the generation of gravity waves on various scales.

Shear modulus and damping ratio of sand-granulated rubber mixtures

Recycled waste tires when mixed with soil can play an important role as lightweight materials in retaining walls and embankments, machine foundations and railroad track beds in seismic zones. Having high damping characteristic, rubbers can be used as either soil alternative or mixed with soil to reduce vibration when seismic loads are of great concern. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the dynamic properties of such mixtures prior to practical applications. To this reason, torsional resonant column and dynamic triaxial experiments were carried out and the effect of the important parameters like rubber content and ratio of mean grain size of rubber solids versus soil solids(D50,r/D50,s) on dynamic response of mixtures in a range of low to high shearing strain amplitude from about 4×10-4% to 2.7% were investigated. Considering engineering applications, specimens were prepared almost at the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content to model a mixture layer above the ground water table and in low precipitation region. The results show that tire inclusion significantly reduces the shear modulus and increases the damping ratio of the mixtures. Also decrease in D50,r/D50,s causes the mixture to exhibit more rubber-like behavior. Finally, normalized shear modulus versus shearing strain amplitude curve was proposed for engineering practice.

Estimation of residual shear strength ratios of liquefied soil deposits from shear wave velocity

For sites susceptible to liquefaction induced lateral spreading during a probable earthquake, geotechnical engineers often need to know the undrained residual shear strength of the liquefied soil deposit to estimate lateral spreading displacements, and the forces acting on the piles from the liquefied soils in order to perform post liquefaction stability analyses. The most commonly used methods to estimate the undrained residual shear strength （Su~） of liquefied sand deposits are based on the correlations determined from liquefaction induced flow failures with SPT and CPT data. In this study, 44 lateral spread case histories are analyzed and a new relationship based on only lateral spread case histories is recommended, which estimates the residual shear strength ratio of the liquefiable soil layer from normalized shear wave velocity. The new proposed method is also utilized to estimate the residual lateral displacement of an example bridge problem in an area susceptible to lateral spreading in order to provide insight into how the proposed relationship can be used in geotechnical engineering practice.

Dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio characteristics of undisturbed marine soils in the Bohai Sea,China

This paper presents results from a series of stress-controlled undrained cyclic triaxial tests on the undisturbed marine silty clay,silt,and fine sand soils obtained from the Bohai Sea,China.Emphasis is placed on the major factors for predominating the dynamic shear modulus(G)and damping ratio(λ)in the shear strain amplitude(γ_(a))from 10^(-5) to 10^(-2),involving depth,sedimentary facies types,and water content of marine soils.The empirical equations of the small-strain shear modulus(G_(max))and damping ratio(λ_(min))using a single-variable of depth H are established for the three marine soils.A remarkable finding is that the curves of shear modulus reduction(G/G_(max))and the damping ratio(λ)with increasing γ_(a) of the three marine soils can be simply determined through a set of explicit expressions with the two variables of depth H and water content W.This finding is validated by independent experimental data from the literature.At the similar depths,the G value of the marine soils of terrestrial facies is the largest,followed b_(y) the neritic facies,and the G value of the marine soils of abyssal facies is the smallest.The sedimentary facies types of the marine soils have slight effect on theλvalue.Another significant finding is that the shear modulus reduction curves plotted against the γ_(a) of the three marine soils at the similar depths are significantly below those of the corresponding terrigenous soils,while the damping curves plotted against γ_(a) are just the opposite.The results presented in this paper serve as a worthful reference for the evaluation of seabed seismic site effects in the Bohai Sea due to lack of experimental data.

Influence of Aspect Ratio on Rolling Shear Properties of Fast-Grown Small Diameter Eucalyptus Lumber

Eucalyptus is a major fast-grown species in South China,which has the potential for producing structural wood products such as cross-laminated timber(CLT).Aspect ratio(board width vs.board thickness)of eucalyptus lumbers is small due to the small diameter of fast-grown eucalyptus wood.To evaluate its rolling shear modulus and strength for potential CLT applications,three-layer hybrid CLT shear block specimens with different aspect ratios(2,4,6),were tested by planar shear test method.Digital image correlation(DIC)was employed to measure the rolling shear strain distribution and development during the planar shear tests.The mean values of rolling shear modulus and strength of eucalyptus lamination were 260.3%and 88.2%higher than those of SPF(Spruce-pine-fir)lamination with the same aspect ratio of 4,respectively.The rolling shear properties of eucalyptus laminations increased as the aspect ratio increased.Aspect ratio had a significant influence on rolling shear modulus compared to rolling shear strength.The high shear strain regions were primarily found around the gaps between segments of cross layer.The quantity of high shear strain regions increased as the aspect ratio of lamination decreased.Other high shear strain regions also occurred around the pith and along the glue line.The sudden failure of specimen occurred in the high strain region.In conclusion,the rolling shear strength and modulus of fast-grown eucalyptus laminations exceed the respective characteristic values for softwoods in the current standard by roughly factors of 3 and 8,indicating great potential for fast-grown eucalyptus wood cross-layers in CLT.

Seismic stability safety evaluation of gravity dam with shear strength reduction method

A new method of numerical seismic stability safety evaluation for a rock slope is proposed based on the analysis of a gravity dam foundation subjected to earthquake loading. The shear strengths of the weak discontinuities are divided by different shear strength reduction ratios （K） and numerical seismic analysis is carried out after the static analysis is completed. With different K values, the curves of the permanent horizontal displacement of key points of the dam foundation （K-displacement curves） are studied. According to the curve change, the distribution of plastic zones in the foundation, and the slow convergence of the finite element method （FEM）, the seismic stability safety factor is defined as Kwhen the gravity dam is in the limit equilibrium state subjected to earthquake loading. These concepts were applied to the evaluation of seismic stability safety of a gravity dam for a hydropower project. The analysis of the example shows that the proposed method is feasible and is an effective method of seismic stability safety evaluation.

Effect of consolidation ratios on maximum dynamic shear modulus of sands

The dynamic shear modulus (DSM) is the most basic soil parameter in earthquake or other dynamic loading conditions and can be obtained through testing in the field or in the laboratory. The effect of consolidation ratios on the maximum DSM for two types of sand is investigated by using resonant column tests. And, an increment formula to obtain the maximum DSM for cases of consolidation ratio κc>1 is presented. The results indicate that the maximum DSM rises rapidly when κc is near 1 and then slows down, which means that the power function of the consolidation ratio increment κc-1 can be used to describe the variation of the maximum DSM due to κc>1. The results also indicate that the increase in the maximum DSM due to κc>1 is significantly larger than that predicted by Hardin and Black's formula.

Experimental research on shear carrying capacity of H-steel concrete composite beam with small shear span ratio

In order to investigate shear carrying capacity of H-steel concrete beam with small shear span ratio,shear test on 5 H-steel concrete composite beams with small span ratio (from 0.7 to 1.1) are reported,including test design,test scheme,test method,failure characteristics and test results. Influences of shear span ratio,web of H steel and concrete on shear carrying capacity of this kind of beam are investigated. The main components comprising shear bearing capacity are analyzed. The results show that with the shear span ratio increasing,the contribution of web of H steel and concrete on shear carrying capacity decrease. Based on test data,the calculation formula of shear carrying capacity for this beam is established by curve fitting.

Experimental Research on Dynamic Shear Modular Ratio and Damping Ratio of Sandy Gravel Soil

The dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of sandy gravel are important parameters for the seismic response analysis of valley geomorphic sites,which have an important impact on the determination of design ground motion parameters. In this paper,the dynamic triaxial test of sandy gravels has been performed based on the project of the Shangluo Seismic Microzonation. Combined with the other results of sandy gravel,the recommended results of slightly dense,medium dense and dense sandy gravel were obtained. By building the typical site model,the influence of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio uncertainty on the seismic response of the site is studied. The results show that the uncertainty of the average of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio ± 1 times the standard deviation has little effect on the peak acceleration of the sandy gravel site,and the rationality of the grouping and statistical results is explained. Under different probability levels,the change in the shear modulus ratio and damping ratio leads to a significant difference in the high frequency response spectrum.The response spectrum of 0. 04-0. 1s ranges from about 20%,but it has little effect on the long period spectrum of more than 1. 0s. The study of dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of sandy gravel has the ability to improve the reliability of the designing ground motion parameters.

Evidence for the Upwelling of Mafic Bodies into the Upper Crust beneath the N40-50°E Branch of the Pan-African Central Cameroon Shear Zone from Gravity Studies

The existence of mafic bodies at mid crustal level beneath the Pan-African Central Cameroon Shear Zone is still a matter of debate. To provide additional constrains on this issue, the crust of the west region of Cameroon has been investigated using gravity data. Analyses of these data show N40-50°E oriented iso-anomal contours in the Bafoussam area, interpreted as the N40-50°E branch of the Central Cameroon Shear Zone. In addition, spectral analysis and 2.5D gravity modeling reveal intrusions of mafic bodies at depth between 3.2 and 14.2 km under N40-50°E aligned volcanic centers, namely Mt Bambouto and Mt Mbapit. The above observations suggest a structurally controlled emplacement of the mafic bodies. In the light of the recent geophysical data, the interaction between the NE-ward channel flow operating at the bottom of the lithosphere or the asthenosphere upwelling and the Cameroon Shear Zone could better explain the magma upwelling in the upper crust. This result is the novelty of the present work.

Three-dimensional modelling of shear keys in concrete gravity dams using an advanced grillage method

Contraction joint shear keys are resilient features of gravity dams that can be considered to increase the sliding safety factors or minimise seismic residual sliding displacements,allowing costly remedial actions to be avoided.This paper presents a novel,robust,and computationally efficient three-dimensional(3D)modelling and simulation strategy of gravity dams,using a series of adjacent cantilever beam elements to represent individual monoliths.These monoliths are interconnected in the longitudinal direction by 3D no-tension link elements representing the lumped shear key stiffness contributions at a particular elevation.The objective is to assess the shear key internal force demands,including the axial force,shear,and moment demands.Shear key demand-capacity ratios can then be assessed with related multi-axial failure envelopes.The 3D link element stiffness coefficients were derived from a series of 3D finite element(FE)solid models with a detailed representation of geometrical features of multiple shear keys.The results from the proposed method based on advanced grillage analysis show strong agreement with reference solutions from 3D FE solid models,demonstrating high accuracy and performance of the proposed method.The application of the proposed advanced grillage method to a dam model with two monoliths clearly shows the advantage of the proposed method,in comparison to the classical approach used in practise.

Experimental study on the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints

Quasi-NPR(negative Poisson’s ratio)steel is a new type of super bolt material with high strength,high ductility,and a micro-negative Poisson’s effect.This material overcomes the contrasting characteristics of the high strength and high ductility of steel and it has significant energy-absorbing characteristics,which is of high value in deep rock and soil support engineering.However,research on the shear resistance of quasi-NPR steel has not been carried out.To study the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints,indoor shear tests of bolted rock joints under different normal stress conditions were carried out.Q235 steel and#45 steel,two representative ordinary bolt steels,were set up as a control group for comparative tests to compare and analyze the shear strength,deformation and instability mode,shear energy absorption characteristics,and bolting contribution of different types of bolts.The results show that the jointed rock masses without bolt reinforcement undergo brittle failure under shear load,while the bolted jointed rock masses show obvious ductile failure characteristics.The shear deformation ca-pacity of quasi-NPR steel is more than 3.5 times that of Q235 steel and#45 steel.No fracture occurs in the quasi-NPR steel during large shear deformation and it can provide stable shear resistance.However,the other two types of control bolts become fractured under the same conditions.Quasi-NPR steel has significant energy-absorbing characteristics under shear load and has obvious advantages in terms of absorbing the energy released by shear deformation of jointed rock masses as compared with ordinary steel.In particular,the shear force plays a major role in resisting the shear deformation of Q235 steel and#45 steel,therefore,fracture failure occurs under small bolt deformation.However,the axial force of quasi-NPR steel can be fully exerted when resisting joint shear deformation;the steel itself does not break when large shear deformation occurs,and the supporting effect of the jointed rock mass is effectively guaranteed.

Nature of the Crust Below the Achankovil Shear Zone,India Based on Gravity Data

Evolutionary history of continents and supercontinents, and their implications on solid earth processes, require an understanding of the growth of the continental crust through time and space.Suture zones are the remnant regions inherited by Proterozoic tectonics between amalgamated terranes and the long-lived shear systems are commonly assumed to represent such boundaries.One such often debated is the

Influence of Axial Load Ratio on Shear Behavior of Through-Diaphragm Connections of Concrete-Filled Square Steel Tubular Columns

Nonlinear finite element analysis and parametric studies were carried out to study the influence of axial load ratio on the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections of concrete-filled square steel tubular columns. The analysis reveals that smaller axial load ratio can improve the shear bearing capacity and ductility while larger axial load ratio will decrease the shear behavior of the through-diaphragm connections. The parametric studies indicate that the axial load ratio should be limited to less than 0.4 and its influence should be considered in the analysis and design of such connections.

A nonlinear Schrodinger equation for gravity waves slowly modulated by linear shear flow

Assume that a fluid is inviscid, incompressible, and irrotational. A nonlinear Schr?dinger equation(NLSE) describing the evolution of gravity waves in finite water depth is derived using the multiple-scale analysis method. The gravity waves are influenced by a linear shear flow, which is composed of a uniform flow and a shear flow with constant vorticity. The modulational instability(MI) of the NLSE is analyzed, and the region of the MI for gravity waves(the necessary condition for existence of freak waves) is identified. In this work, the uniform background flows along or against wave propagation are referred to as down-flow and up-flow, respectively. Uniform up-flow enhances the MI, whereas uniform down-flow reduces it. Positive vorticity enhances the MI, while negative vorticity reduces it. Hence, the influence of positive(negative)vorticity on MI can be balanced out by that of uniform down(up) flow. Furthermore, the Peregrine breather solution of the NLSE is applied to freak waves. Uniform up-flow increases the steepness of the free surface elevation, while uniform down-flow decreases it. Positive vorticity increases the steepness of the free surface elevation, whereas negative vorticity decreases it.

THE EFFECTS OF VELOCITY RATIO ON THE LARGE SCALE COHERENT STRUCTURES IN FREE SHEAR LAYERS

The velocity ratio of a free shear layer has an important influence on the spatial development of the large scale coherent structures in the layer. In this study, numerical simulations are performed to get an insight into this problem. The obtained numerical results agree quite well with those of a linear inviscid stability theory and the available experimental data.