scholarly journals Sediment pulses and extreme events: Assessing the effect of storm characteristics on propagation dynamics

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 06044
Author(s):  
Celso Castro-Bolinaga ◽  
Panayiotis Diplas ◽  
Robert Bodnar

The objective of this research is to assess the effect that extreme hydrologic events have on the propagation of sediment pulses in river corridors. These sediment-flow hazards are associated with large amounts of loose material suddenly deposited in rivers by the action of external factors or processes of natural or anthropogenic origin, including landslides, debris flows from tributaries, dam removal projects, and mining-related activities. Their occurrence is associated with severe channel aggradation and degradation, floodplain deposition, damage of infrastructure, and impairment of riparian and aquatic ecosystems. Given that the intensity of rainfall events have been significantly enhanced due to the influence of various human activities, sediment pulses are expected to become more common, with a more pronounced downstream impact as such climatic changes directly affect the magnitude, duration, and frequency of flows in riverine environments. Herein, numerical simulations were performed to characterize the propagation of a fine-grained sediment pulse for the 10-, 100-, and 500-yr storms. Results indicate that magnitude, frequency, and duration of the storms primarily influence the temporal variation of the total sediment discharge. In particular, these storm characteristics have a marked impact on the relationship between pre- and post-pulse conditions in the river channel, the dissipation of the pulse peak discharge, and the travel time of the pulse apex.

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Davide Tiranti ◽  
Roberto Cremonini ◽  
Daniele Sanmartino

Rarely, a close correlation between wildfires and the occurrence of channelized debris flows has been observed in the Western Italian Alps. Only two cases in history have been reported, after brief and localized rainfall events of moderate intensity in Italy's Piemonte region (NW Italy) caused debris flows, on 18 July 2005, in Verbania province (Pallanzeno municipality), and on June 2018 in Turin province (Bussoleno municipality). These phenomena occurred after a large portion of the catchments were affected by wide wildfires in the preceding months. Debris flow deposits showed an unusually large number of fine-grained particles, forming dark-brown mud-rich deposits associated with burnt wood deposits. Rainfall analysis related to the period between the wildfires' occurrence and the debris flow events, using both raingauge and weather radar data, pointed out that the debris flows triggered in July 2005 and June 2018 were characterized by greater magnitude but associated with less precipitation intensity rates as compared with previous mud flows occurring just after wildfires. These behaviors can be explained by the presence of burned organic material and fine-grained sediment, generated from the soil's thermal reworking, which formed a thick layer, centimeters deep, covering a large percentage of catchments and slopes. Most of this layer, generated by wildfires’ action were winnowed by rainfall events that had occurred in the months before the debris flow events, of significant magnitude, exhuming a discontinuous hydrophobic soil surface that changed the slopes’ permeability characteristics. In such conditions, runoff increased, corrivation time shortened, and, consequently, discharge along the two catchments’ channels-network increased as well. Consequently, the rainfall effects associated with rainfall events in July 2005 and June 2019 were more effective in mobilizing coarse sediments in channel beds than was typical for those catchments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Olthaar ◽  
Wilfred Dolfsma ◽  
Clemens Lutz ◽  
Florian Noseleit

In a competitive business environment at the Bottom of the Pyramid smallholders supplying global value chains may be thought to be at the whims of downstream large-scale players and local market forces, leaving no room for strategic entrepreneurial behavior. In such a context we test the relationship between the use of strategic resources and firm performance. We adopt the Resource Based Theory and show that seemingly homogenous smallholders deploy resources differently and, consequently, some do outperform others. We argue that the ‘resource-based theory’ results in a more fine-grained understanding of smallholder performance than approaches generally applied in agricultural economics. We develop a mixed-method approach that allows one to pinpoint relevant, industry-specific resources, and allows for empirical identification of the relative contribution of each resource to competitive advantage. The results show that proper use of quality labor, storage facilities, time of selling, and availability of animals are key capabilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Mao ◽  
Jun Kang Chow ◽  
Pin Siang Tan ◽  
Kuan-fu Liu ◽  
Jimmy Wu ◽  
...  

AbstractAutomatic bird detection in ornithological analyses is limited by the accuracy of existing models, due to the lack of training data and the difficulties in extracting the fine-grained features required to distinguish bird species. Here we apply the domain randomization strategy to enhance the accuracy of the deep learning models in bird detection. Trained with virtual birds of sufficient variations in different environments, the model tends to focus on the fine-grained features of birds and achieves higher accuracies. Based on the 100 terabytes of 2-month continuous monitoring data of egrets, our results cover the findings using conventional manual observations, e.g., vertical stratification of egrets according to body size, and also open up opportunities of long-term bird surveys requiring intensive monitoring that is impractical using conventional methods, e.g., the weather influences on egrets, and the relationship of the migration schedules between the great egrets and little egrets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Chih-Ming Tseng ◽  
Yie-Ruey Chen ◽  
Chwen-Ming Chang ◽  
Yung-Sheng Chue ◽  
Shun-Chieh Hsieh

This study explores the impact of rainfall on the followed-up landslides after a severe typhoon and the relationship between various rainfall events and the occurrence, scale, and regional characteristics of the landslides, including second landslides. Moreover, the influence of land disturbance was evaluated. The genetic adaptive neural network was used in combination with the texture analysis of the geographic information system for satellite image classification and interpretation to analyze land-use change and retrieve disaster records and surface information after five rainfall events from Typhoon Morakot (2009) to Typhoon Nanmadol (2011). The results revealed that except for extreme Morakot rains, the greater the degree of slope disturbance after rain, the larger the exposed slope. Extreme rainfall similar to Morakot strikes may have a greater impact on the bare land area than on slope disturbance. Moreover, the relationship between the bare land area and the index of land disturbance condition (ILDC) is positive, and the ratio of the bare land area to the quantity of bare land after each rainfall increases with the ILDC. With higher effective accumulative rainfall on the slope in the study area or greater slope disturbance, the landslide area at the second landslide point tended to increase.


2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 712-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Sridharan ◽  
H B Nagaraj

Correlating engineering properties with index properties has assumed greater significance in the recent past in the field of geotechnical engineering. Although attempts have been made in the past to correlate compressibility with various index properties individually, all the properties affecting compressibility behaviour have not been considered together in any single study to examine which index property of the soil correlates best with compressibility behaviour, especially within a set of test results. In the present study, 10 soils covering a sufficiently wide range of liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage limit were selected and conventional consolidation tests were carried out starting with their initial water contents almost equal to their respective liquid limits. The compressibility behaviour is vastly different for pairs of soils having nearly the same liquid limit, but different plasticity characteristics. The relationship between void ratio and consolidation pressure is more closely related to the shrinkage index (shrinkage index = liquid limit - shrinkage limit) than to the plasticity index. Wide variations are seen with the liquid limit. For the soils investigated, the compression index relates better with the shrinkage index than with the plasticity index or liquid limit.Key words: Atterberg limits, classification, clays, compressibility, laboratory tests.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.34) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Seokil Jeong ◽  
Junseon Lee ◽  
Chang Geun Song ◽  
Seung Oh Lee

Background/Objectives: Due to the extreme climate and the localized heavy rain, the frequency of debris flow has been increasing. Therefore, there is a growing expectation for accurate numerical analysis.Methods/Statistical analysis: We present a prediction method that can calculate the propagation length of the debris flow. This analysis indicates the relationship between the potential energy and the propagation length of the debris flow. To study the behavior of the debris flow accurately, the change in the momentum force must be considered; otherwise the calculation accuracy of the debris flow behavior is inevitably low.Findings: Entrainment is a common behavior in a debris flow that leads to changes in the momentum force. Here, we analyzed the change in the momentum force using a 2D simulation model that included entrainment. The results show how the debris flow behaves with changes in the momentum force. When entrainment is considered, the propagation length tends to be underestimated. With detailed information, the uncertainty in the prediction accuracy can be reduced.Improvements/Applications: If studies on the material properties of debris flow would be added, it will be possible to carry out various and accurate analysis of the debris flow  


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 322-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanna Campopiano ◽  
Emanuela Rondi

We extend McLarty, Vardaman, and Barnett’s analysis of how family firm supervisor attributes, in terms of familial status and socioemotional wealth importance, affect supervisee performance by considering the supervisee attributes. We further integrate the concept of restricted and generalized social exchange to provide a theoretical basis for how hierarchical dyadic (in)congruence moderates the relationship between supervisee commitment and performance. By providing a more fine-grained conceptualization, we contribute to the family business literature at its organization behavior interface.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Muhammad-Sultanhan Paizullahanov ◽  
◽  
Rasul Akbarov ◽  
Abdurashid Abdurakhim Uglu ◽  
Kholmatov, Muslimbek Mukhsinjon ugli Sobirov ◽  
...  

The paper analyzes approaches to modeling the processes of interaction of concentrated solar radiation with materials. The experimental results obtained on the synthesis of materials from a melt in a solar furnace are presented. It is shown that when melting in a solar furnace under the influence of concentrated solar radiation of high density due to the acceleration of the recovery process, it is possible to obtain a fine-grained microstructure that gives the material enhanced mechanical and dielectric properties. It is shown that the relationship between the structure and properties of the materials obtained with the technological parameters of melting and cooling in a solar furnace can be used as an approach to modeling the interaction of concentrated solar radiation with materials


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke McEllin ◽  
Günther Knoblich ◽  
Natalie Sebanz

Abstract In joint performances spanning from jazz improvisation to soccer, expert performers synchronize their movements in ways that novices cannot. Particularly, experts can align the velocity profiles of their movements in order to achieve synchrony on a fine-grained time scale, compared to novices who can only synchronize the duration of their movement intervals. This study investigated how experts’ ability to engage in velocity-based synchrony affects observers’ perception of coordination and their aesthetic experience of joint performances. Participants observed two moving dots on a screen and were told that these reflect the hand movements of two performers engaging in joint improvisation. The dots were animated to reflect the velocity-based synchrony characteristic of expert performance (in terms of jitter of the velocity profile: Experiment 1, or through aligning sharpness of the velocity profile: Experiment 2) or contained only interval-based synchrony. Performances containing velocity-based synchrony were judged as more coordinated with performers rated as liking each other more, and were rated as more beautiful, providing observers with a stronger aesthetic experience. These findings demonstrate that subtle timing cues fundamentally shape the experience of watching joint actions, directly influencing how beautiful and enjoyable we find these interactions, as well as our perception of the relationship between co-actors.


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