Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pore-morphology-based simulations of drainage and wetting processes in porous media

Soil hydraulic properties relating saturation, water pressure, and hydraulic conductivity are known to exhibit hysteresis. In this paper, we focus on the determination of the water retention curve for a porous medium through a novel pore-scale simulation technique that is based on mathematical morphology. We develop an algorithm that allows for the representation of three-dimensional randomly packed porous media of any geometry (i.e. not restricted to idealized geometries such as spherical or ellipsoidal particles/pore space) so that the connectivity-, tortuosity-, and hysteresis-causing mechanisms are represented in both drainage and wetting processes, and their role in determining macroscopic fluid behavior is made explicit. Using this method, we present simulation results that demonstrate hysteretic behavior of wetting and non-wetting phases during both drainage and wetting cycles. A new method for computing interfacial surface areas is developed. The pore-morphology-based method is critically evaluated for accuracy, sample size effects, and resolution effects. It is found that the method computes interfacial areas more accurately than existing methods and allows for (i) examination of relationships between water pressure, saturation and interfacial area for hysteretic soils, and (ii) comparisons with previously developed theoretical models of soil hydraulic properties. The pore-morphology-based method shows promise for applications in vadose zone hydrology.
Floodplain palaeosols of the Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada: Micromorphology, pedogenic processes and palaeoenvironmental implications

Abstract Floodplains represent both sedimentological and pedological entities that record a unique blend of potential environmental indicators in the rock record. Because floodplains develop in aggradational environments with a high preservation potential, they preserve a detailed record of the local pedosedimentary history. Assemblages of micromorphological features present in floodplain palaeosols record, with a high degree of temporal and spatial resolution, specific pedological processes that operated under particular environmental conditions. Detailed micromorphological analyses of floodplain deposits, in conjunction with their regional distribution, are required for accurate palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of these environments. Micromorphological features are described from floodplain palaeosols in the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Dunvegan Formation in northwestern Alberts and northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The palaeosols developed on low-lying and generally poorly drained floodplains during a time when the tectonic subsidence rate was very low. High-frequency fluctuations in base level were superimposed upon this tectonic signature, resulting in at least seven phases of valley cutting and the corresponding development of mature interfluve palaeosols. The major pedogenic processes operating were clay illuviation, redox processes, precipitation of soluble salts (primarily FeCO3) and pedoturbation. Palaeopedological features in the Dunvegan Formation are consistent with features developed in modern cool temperate soils with a non-seasonal precipitation distribution, such as Brunisols and Luvisols. The presence of embedded grain argillans, compound silt-clay coatings and rounded aggregates suggests at least the possibility of limited frost penetration in inland soils. Floodplains of the mid-Cretaceous Dunvegan Formation (palaeolatidude c. 65°N) record evidence for cool temperate conditions that supports other palaeobotanical and sedimentological evidence for cool Cretaceous palaeoclimates at high latitudes.
MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY OF SOME ORDOVICIAN K-BENTONITES AND RELATED LIMESTONES

Twenty-two samples of Ordovician K-bentonite were examined by the use of size analyses, heavy- and light-mineral separates, thin sections, differential thermal curves, x-ray diffraction patterns, chemical analyses, and electron micrographs. The less than one micron fraction of two typical samples was studied in detail. The K-bentonite consists of randomly interstratified expanded and nonexpanded 2:1 layers in the ratio of 1:4. In addition, many of the samples contain packets of chlorite, the cause of an endothermal peak on the differential thermal curves formerly believed due to illite. Chemical analyses of the two samples indicate a direct correlation between the percentage of K present and the percentage of nonexpanded layers (illite). The nature of the heavy and light minerals shows that the clay altered from a volcanic glass. It is believed the clay formed as an expanded 2:1 mineral (montmorillonite) and later adsorbed K which caused 80 per cent of the layers to become nonexpanded (illite). Twenty-seven samples of the limestone on either side of a series of K-bentonite beds were examined in detail. The heavy and light minerals indicate that the insoluble residue is composed of both volcanic and nonvolcanic material. The nonvolcanic material is largely a nonexpanded dioctahedral 2:1 clay (illite); the volcanic material altered to form chlorite. The chlorite and volcanic heavy minerals increase in abundance as the K-bentonites are approached. It is believed that the ash altered to chlorite because of the availability of Mg, which was probably enhanced by the presence of the calcite ooze. The “Tioga Bentonite”, a thin clay bed in the Middle Devonian, is nearly identical to the Ordovician K-bentonite.
TellusSW : airborne geophysical data and processing report

This report describes the data and processing of an airborne geophysical survey conducted as part of the Geology and Regional Geophysics Programme. The airborne survey (TellusSW) covered a largely continuous onshore/offshore area in the SW of England primarily across the counties of Cornwall and Devon. The data acquisition was undertaken by the airborne geophysical contractor CGG Airborne Survey (Pty) Ltd (formerly Fugro Airborne Surveys) during the second half of 2013. The contractor delivered final processed data towards the end of February 2014. This report accompanies the release of the final TellusSW data set.
ENSO and the South China Sea summer monsoon onset

This paper investigates the relationship between the onset date of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The monsoon onset date (MOD) is defined on the basis of the switch of the 850‐hPa zonal winds over the South China Sea (SCS) from easterly to westerly for two consecutive pentads. The ENSO signal is represented by the ocean heat content (OHC), which is proportional to the depth of the 20 °C isotherm.
A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF ASPECTS OF SASS (SOUTH AFRICAN SCORING SYSTEM) FOR THE RAPID BIOASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN RIVERS, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE INCORPORATION OF SASS IN A NATIONAL BIOMONITORING PROGRAMME

Summary The rapid bioassessment method, SASS (South African Scoring System) has been developed to assess water quality in riverine ecosystems. It is a scoring system based on the presence or absence of macroinvertebrate groups, and yields three values, namely SASS4 Score, Number of Taxa and Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT). The current and future use of SASS, including incorporation into the National Biomonitoring Programme for Riverine Ecosystems, necessitates evaluation of this bioassessment method. This study focuses on three aspects. namely spatial variation in SASS scores, including regional and longitudinal (sub-regional) variation; temporal variation in SASS scores, and the effect of biotope availability on SASS scores.
Double cusp: Model prediction and observational verification

Recent modeling of the entry of solar wind plasma into the magnetosphere and ionosphere has adequately simulated the large-scale particle precipitation features in the observed cusp, mantle, polar rain, and open-field line low-latitude boundary layer regions. The assumption of a simple dawn-dusk electric field limited the models to the near-noon region and southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) case. Here, we present an improved model that incorporates the electric field obtained from statistical convection patterns. When the IMF is strongly duskward/dawnward and weakly southward, the model predicts the occurrence of a double cusp near noon: one cusp at lower latitude and one at higher latitude. The lower-latitude cusp ions originate from low-latitude magnetosheath, whereas the higher-latitude ions originate from the high-latitude magnetosheath. The lower-latitude cusp is located in the region of weak azimuthal E × B drift, resulting in a dispersionless cusp, as would be observed from a typical meridional trajectory of a polar-orbiting satellite. The higher-latitude cusp is located in the region of strong azimuthal and poleward E × B drift. Because of a significant poleward drift, the higher-latitude cusp dispersion has some resemblance to that of the typical southward IMF cusp. This prediction was subsequently confirmed in a large case study with Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) data. Occasionally, the two parts of the double cusp have such narrow latitudinal separation that they give the appearance of just one cusp with extended latitudinal width. From the 40 DMSP passes selected during periods of large (positive or negative) IMF By and small negative IMF Bz ,30 (75%) of the passes exhibit double cusps or cusps with extended latitudinal width. The double-cusp result is consistent with the following new statistical results: (1) the cusp latitudinal width increases with |IMF By| and (2) the cusp equatorward boundary moves to lower latitude with increasing |IMF By|.
A Spectral Theory of Rainfall Intensity at the Meso‐β Scale

The available empirical descriptions of extratropical cyclonic storms are employed to formulate a physically realistic stochastic representation of the ground level rainfall intensity field in space and time. The stochastic representation is based on three-component stochastic point processes which possess the general features of the embedding of rain cells within small mesoscale areas within large mesoscale areas within synoptic storms. Certain scale idealizations, and assumptions on functional forms which qualitatively reflect the physical features, lead to a closed form expression for the covariance function, i.e., the real space-time spectrum, of the rainfall intensity field. The theoretical spectrum explains the empirical spectral features observed by Zawadzki almost a decade ago. Of particular interest and importance in this connection is an explanation of the empirical observation that the Taylorian propogation of the fine scale structure, via a transformation of time to space through the storm velocity, holds only for a small time lag and not throughout. The results here indicate the extent of this lag in terms of the characteristic scales associated with cell durations, cellular birthrates and velocities, etc.
The Triassic timescale based on nonmarine tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology

Abstract The Triassic timescale based on nonmarine tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology divides Triassic time into eight land-vertebrate faunachrons (LVFs) with boundaries defined by the first appearance datums (FADs) of tetrapod genera or, in two cases, the FADs of a tetrapod species. Definition and characterization of these LVFs is updated here as follows: the beginning of the Lootsbergian LVF=FAD of Lystrosaurus; the beginning of the Nonesian=FAD Cynognathus; the beginning of the Perovkan LVF=FAD Eocyclotosaurus; the beginning of the Berdyankian LVF=FAD Mastodonsaurus giganteus; the beginning of the Otischalkian LVF=FAD Parasuchus; the beginning of the Adamanian LVF=FAD Rutiodon; the beginning of the Revueltian LVF=FAD Typothorax coccinarum; and the beginning of the Apachean LVF=FAD Redondasaurus. The end of the Apachean (= beginning of the Wasonian LVF, near the beginning of the Jurassic) is the FAD of the crocodylomorph Protosuchus. The Early Triassic tetrapod LVFs, Lootsbergian and Nonesian, have characteristic tetrapod assemblages in the Karoo basin of South Africa, the Lystrosaurus assemblage zone and the lower two-thirds of the Cynognathus assemblage zone, respectively. The Middle Triassic LVFs, Perovkan and Berdyankian, have characteristic assemblages from the Russian Ural foreland basin, the tetrapod assemblages of the Donguz and the Bukobay svitas, respectively. The Late Triassic LVFs, Otischalkian, Adamanian, Revueltian and Apachean, have characteristic assemblages in the Chinle basin of the western USA, the tetrapod assemblages of the Colorado City Formation of Texas, Blue Mesa Member of the Petrified Forest Formation in Arizona, and Bull Canyon and Redonda formations in New Mexico. Since the Triassic LVFs were introduced, several subdivisions have been proposed: Lootsbergian can be divided into three sub-LVFs, Nonesian into two, Adamanian into two and Revueltian into three. However, successful inter-regional correlation of most of these sub-LVFs remains to be demonstrated. Occasional records of nonmarine Triassic tetrapods in marine strata, palynostratigraphy, conchostracan biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy and radioisotopic ages provide some basis for correlation of the LVFs to the standard global chronostratigraphic scale. These data indicate that Lootsbergian=uppermost Changshingian, Induan and possibly earliest Olenekian; Nonesian=much of the Olenekian; Perovkan=most of the Anisian; Berdyankian=latest Anisian? and Ladinian; Otischalkian=early to late Carnian; Adamanian=most of the late Carnian; Revueltian=early–middle Norian; and Apachean=late Norian–Rhaetian. The Triassic timescale based on tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology remains a robust tool for the correlation of nonmarine Triassic tetrapod assemblages independent of the marine timescale.
Criminal Social Identity in a Sample of Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders in Pakistan

Due to the absence of a reliable and valid measure of criminal social identity to be used with juvenile offenders in Pakistan, the focus of the first empirical chapter was to translate the self-report Measure of Criminal Social Identity (MCSI) into Urdu with the aim of testing the construct validity, dimensionality, incremental validity, and composite reliability of the measure in a sample of juvenile delinquents incarcerated in Pakistan (N = 415). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the best fitting model was a three-factor model (cognitive centrality, in-group affect, and in-group ties). The Urdu version of MCSI was then used in the subsequent chapters to examine criminal social identity as a risk factor for delinquency and a protector factor for suicide thinking. The second empirical chapter investigated the number and nature of latent classes of juvenile delinquency and their relationship with the criminal social identity by using latent class analysis and regression analysis. Results indicated a three class solution: ‘minor delinquents’ ‘moderate delinquents’ and ‘major delinquents’. Juvenile offenders who reported having an increased number of criminal friends were more likely to belong to the ‘major delinquency class’ whilst those reporting higher in-group ties and lower in-group affect were more likely to belong to the ‘moderate delinquency’ class compared to ‘minor delinquency class’. Previous empirical research has focused only on how criminal social identity predicts and helps us to understand criminal behaviour. The aim of the third empirical chapter was to investigate criminal social identity (CS) as protective factor against suicide ideation. Therefore, a structural model was estimated to investigate the relationship between the three factors of CSI and suicide ideation, while controlling for age, offender type, period of confinement, and drug addiction. Results indicated that of the variables included in the model, the only significant (negative) predictor of suicide ideation was in-group ties. Thus, in-group ties may act as a protective factor against the development of suicide ideation in incarcerated offender.
Crosshole seismic waveform tomography – I. Strategy for real data application

SUMMARY The frequency-domain version of waveform tomography enables the use of distinct frequency components to adequately reconstruct the subsurface velocity field, and thereby dramatically reduces the input data quantity required for the inversion process. It makes waveform tomography a computationally tractable problem for production uses, but its applicability to real seismic data particularly in the petroleum exploration and development scale needs to be examined. As real data are often band limited with missing low frequencies, a good starting model is necessary for waveform tomography, to fill in the gap of low frequencies before the inversion of available frequencies. In the inversion stage, a group of frequencies should be used simultaneously at each iteration, to suppress the effect of data noise in the frequency domain. Meanwhile, a smoothness constraint on the model must be used in the inversion, to cope the effect of data noise, the effect of non-linearity of the problem, and the effect of strong sensitivities of short wavelength model variations. In this paper we use frequency-domain waveform tomography to provide quantitative velocity images of a crosshole target between boreholes 300 m apart. Due to the complexity of the local geology the velocity variations were extreme (between 3000 and 5500 m s −1 ), making the inversion problem highly non-linear. Nevertheless, the waveform tomography results correlate well with borehole logs, and provide realistic geological information that can be tracked between the boreholes with confidence.
Fault kinematics and past plate motions at a convergent plate boundary: Tertiary Shimanto Belt, southwest Japan

Early‐ and late‐stage, outcrop‐scale faults have been documented in Paleogene strata of the Muroto Peninsula of southwest Japan. The former were active early in the consolidation history of the sediment and are crosscut by the latter, which were active after regional‐scale imbrication, folding, and penetrative deformation (i.e., regional, spaced pressure solution cleavage). Orientation distributions of striae and kinematic axes indicate that the two generations of faults reflect distinct kinematic regimes. The orientations and crosscutting relations indicate a counterclockwise (viewed downward) rotation of the principal shortening direction between early‐ and late‐stage faulting. Existing fossil and radiometric age data suggest this transition occurred during Eocene‐Oligocene time. The fault kinematic data are interpreted to reflect a change in relative plate motions between Eurasia and an oceanic plate subducting beneath Eurasia in Paleogene time. These results, coupled with existing paleothermal and paleopressure data, are consistent with the presence of a spreading ridge in the western Pacific basin during this time.
Growing season extension and its impact on terrestrial carbon cycle in the Northern Hemisphere over the past 2 decades

A number of studies have suggested that the growing season duration has significantly lengthened during the past decades, but the connections between phenology variability and the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle are far from clear. In this study, we used the “ORganizing Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems” (ORCHIDEE) process based ecosystem model together with observed climate data to investigate spatiotemporal changes in phenology and their impacts on carbon fluxes in the Northern Hemisphere (>25°N) during 1980–2002. We found that the growing season length (GSL) has increased by 0.30 days yr−1 (R2 = 0.27, P = 0.010), owing to the combination of an earlier onset in spring (0.16 days yr−1) and a later termination in autumn (0.14 days yr−1). Trends in the GSL are however highly variable across the regions. In Eurasia, there is a significant trend toward earlier vegetation green‐up with an overall advancement rate of 0.28 days yr−1 (R2 = 0.32, P = 0.005), while in North America there is a significantly delayed vegetation senescence by 0.28 days yr−1 (R2 = 0.26, P = 0.013) during the study period. Our results also suggested that the GSL strongly correlates with annual gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP), indicating that longer growing seasons may eventually enhance vegetation growth. A 1‐day extension in GSL leads to an increase in annual GPP of 5.8 gC m−2 yr−1 (or 0.6% per day), and an increase in NPP of 2.8 gC m−2 yr−1 per day. However, owing to enhanced soil carbon decomposition accompanying the GPP increase, a change in GSL correlates only poorly with a change in annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP).
Bearing capacity of eccentrically loaded strip footings close to geotextile-reinforced sand slope

A series of bearing capacity tests were conducted with an eccentrically (e/B = 0, 1/12, 1/6, 1/3) loaded model surface (Df/B = 0) and shallow (Df/B = 0.25) strip footings (B = 80 mm) resting close to reinforced finite sand slopes to investigate ultimate loads, failure surfaces, load–displacement curves, rotation of footing, etc. The experimental set-up used to run the tests consists of a tank, model footing, sand, and a loading mechanism. A single woven geotextile strip sheet was placed horizontally below the footing’s base at a depth of half of the footing’s width. Ultimate loads decreased with increasing eccentricity. This decrease is due to a combination of eccentricity and slope. The use of geotextile reinforcement increased ultimate loads in comparison with unreinforced cases. Failure surfaces were not symmetrical, primary failure surfaces developed on the eccentricity (slope) side, and secondary failure surfaces developed on the other side. Lengths of failure surfaces decreased with increasing eccen.
A Late Cretaceous gastropod homing scar (possibly ichnogenus Lacrimichnus) from southern Limburg, The Netherlands

An isolated gastropod homing scar, etched into an arcoscalpelline (cirripede) scutum, is recorded from the upper Nekum Member (Maastricht Formation, upper Maastrichtian) at the ENCI-HeidelbergCement Group quarry. This trace may be assignable to the ichnogenus Lacrimichnus Santos, Mayoral & Muniz, that comprises etching scars produced by Neogene calyptraeid and/or capulid gastropods and ostreid bivalves from southern Spain and Portugal. However, it differs from both ichnospecies currently contained in that ichnogenus, L. bonarensis and L. cacelensis, in showing a relatively deep depression around the rim, irregularly distributed pit- and slit-like depressions, and an irregularly subcircular outline. Despite the wealth of available hard substrates (bivalves, coleoids, echinoids, etc.) and of hipponicid gastropods, such traces are exceedingly rare in the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage.