Modelling failure mechanisms of soft cliff profiles

A large proportion of the 11,000 km coastline of the United Kingdom is backed by soft cliffs. These cliffs are subject to frequent slumping and landslip events, particularly where sea and ground water percolates into the soil and rock. Many of these cliffs are formed from glaciogenic sediments, which experience severe erosion and rapid recession with long-term horizontal recession rates typically up to 2-3 m/year. A series of scaled physical model tests have been conducted using a large centrifuge facility with two-dimensional cliff models. These were tested in a wave flume container located on the centrifuge. Wave loading was created using a quasi-flap paddle system that was located at the opposite end of the centrifuge box. A number of tests were conducted using different cliff materials (i.e. combinations of sand and Portland cement). A parametric study was carried out to assess the influence of variations in cliff geometry and height, soil properties, wave amplitude and period. From these tests, it has been found that generally, failures occurred by progressive undercutting of the cliff toe, followed by global failure of the cliff mass

Blind fluorescence structured illumination microscopy: A new reconstruction strategy

In this communication, a fast reconstruction algorithm is proposed for fluorescence \textit{blind} structured illumination microscopy (SIM) under the sample positivity constraint. This new algorithm is by far simpler and faster than existing solutions, paving the way to 3D and/or real-time 2D reconstruction.Comment: submitted to IEEE ICIP 201

An experimental investigation of the independent effect of suction and degree of saturation on very small-strain stiffness of unsaturated sand

The paper presents an experimental investigation of very small strain stiffness of unsaturated sand. A triaxial test apparatus was equipped with bender elements and compression discs in order to assess the stiffness at very small strains by measuring the velocity of propagation of shear and compression waves through an unsaturated sample. The negative water column method was adopted to apply suction at the base of the sample. The experiments were designed to investigate the independent effect of suction and degree of saturation on the wave propagation velocities. This was achieved by testing the sand sample on both the drying and wetting path

Long Range Hydration Effects in Electrolytic Free Suspended Black Films

The force law within free suspended black films made of negatively charged Aerosol-OT (AOT) with added LiCl or CsCl is studied accurately using X-ray reflectivity (ca. 1{\AA}). We find an electrolyte concentration threshold above which a substantial additional repulsion is detected in the LiCl films, up to distances of 100 {\AA}. We interpret this phenomenon as an augmentation of the Debye screening length, due to the local screening of the condensed hydrophilic counterions by the primary hydration shell.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to be published Phys. Rev. Let

Temperature correction of radiometric and geometric models for an uncooled CCD camera in the near infrared

International audienceThis paper presents radiometric and geometric models for both temperature and displacement noncontact measurements using an uncooled charge-coupled device (CCD) video camera. Such techniques (''one sensor-two measures'') represent an interest in many industrial low cost applications and scientific domains. To benefit from both measurements, we have to use the camera's spectral response in the near infrared spectral band from 0.75 to 1.1 mum. In this spectral band, the temperature variations of an uncooled CCD camera are taken into account in the radiometric and geometric models. By using physical models for CCD camera, we quantify detector's quantum efficiency, sensor noise and spatial resolution as a function of the wavelength and of the detector temperature. These models are confirmed by experimental results of calibration with a low cost uncooled camera based on a Sony detector and operating over the detector temperature range of -30 to -50degrees

Hydrostratigraphic characterisation of shallow coastal aquifers of Eastern Dahomey Basin, S/W Nigeria using integrated hydrogeophysics; implication for saltwater intrusion

This study employed electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in characterising the shallow groundwater aquifers of Eastern Dahomey basin in southwestern Nigeria to assess the possible occurrence and distribution of saltwater within the aquifers. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), induced polarization (IP) and borehole logging were carried in locations with relatively enhanced electrical conductivity (EC) within the coastal zone of the basin through 97 groundwater samples from shallow wells and boreholes; 500 m-length ERT and IP sections were carried out along three traverses A–B, C–D and E–F in directions perpendicular and parallel to the coastline. Three geoelectrical layers were identified along traverse line A–B which comprises cross-sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 located around Ugbonla, Aboto and Igbokoda with layers’ resistivity and chargeability values ranging from (1–1000, 33–200 and 1–1700 Ωm), and (−50–200 Ωm, −30–200 Ωm and −50–120 Ωm, respectively, from the top to the bottom layer. These values indicated unconsolidated sand/lateritic silty clay, underlain by a sandy/silty clay layer with underlying fine-grained sand with disseminated clay lenses. The average thickness of the first two layers was 16 and 53 m while that of the third layer was undetermined. Resistivity and chargeability results from ERT and IP cross-sections along profile C–D exhibited characteristics similar to that of profile A–B with unconsolidated sands which were underlain by intercalation of sandy/silty clay and fine-grained sands with suspected clay lenses saturated with saline water. Profile E–F revealed a geoelectrical layer with low resistivity which ranged from 1–30 Ωm with the corresponding chargeability between −150–400 ms. This indicated a saline water-saturated layer of fine-grained sand and silty clay which is overlaid by the unconsolidated unconfined freshwater aquifer. Correlation of selected ERT results with borehole logs further affirmed the suspected lithology from the sections. Two scenarios of saltwater intrusions into coastal freshwater aquifer were suggested which include the presence of trapped salt-saturated clay lenses within aquifer lithology and seawater incursion induced by over-drafting of groundwater in this basin.Therefore, it identified the need for further investigation which will involve a combination of hydrochemical and isotopes to further understand the paleowater hypothesis

Assessing the impact of climate change on groundwater quality of shallow coastal aquifer of eastern Dahomey basin, southwestern Nigeria

Despite the increasing interest in climate change and water security, research linking climate change and groundwater quality is still at an early stage. This study explores the seasonal effect of the change in biogeochemical process for the redox-sensitive ions and metals Fe 2+, Mn 2+, SO 4 2-, and NO 3 - to assess the groundwater quality of the shallow coastal aquifer of Eastern Dahomey Basin in southwestern Nigeria. Field physicochemical measurement of EC, pH TDS, Eh, salinity, temperature, and the static water level (SWL) was carried out on 250 shallow wells; 230 water samples were collected for analysis between June 2017 and April 2018. A spatial distribution map of these ions and metals showed an increasing concentration in the dry season water samples compared to those of the wet season. This higher concentration could be attributed to change in the intensity of hydrochemical processes such as evaporation, redox, and mineral precipitation. Results of linear regression modelling established significant relationships between SWL, SO 4 2-, NO 3 -, Fe, and Eh for both wet and dry seasons with the p-value falling between 75% and 95%, which can also be seen in the plots of Eh/ORP against Fe 2+, Mn 2+, SO 4 2-, and NO 3 -. These results revealed the influence of the redox process for both seasons, while also having a higher impact in the dry season while variation of concentration revealed decrease with increase in depth, which could be attributed to a decrease in well hydraulic properties and aeration. An Eh-pH geochemical diagram revealed NO 3 - as the controlling biogeochemical process over Fe in most of the sample wells. Concentrations of NO 3 -, Fe, and Mn are above the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard for drinking water in most water samples. This study has established the link between climate change and groundwater quality in shallow coastal aquifers and suggested the need for strategic groundwater management policy and planning to ameliorate groundwater quality deterioration

Clay fine fissuring monitoring using miniature geo-electrical resistivity arrays

Abstract This article describes a miniaturised electrical imaging (resistivity tomography) technique to map the cracking pattern of a clay model. The clay used was taken from a scaled flood embankment built to study the fine fissuring due to desiccation and breaching process in flooding conditions. The potential of using a miniature array of electrodes to follow the evolution of the vertical cracks and number them during the drying process was explored. The imaging technique generated two-dimensional contoured plots of the resistivity distribution within the model before and at different stages of the desiccation process. The change in resistivity associated with the widening of the cracks were monitored as a function of time. Experiments were also carried out using a selected conductive gel to slow down the transport process into the cracks to improve the scanning capabilities of the equipment. The main vertical clay fissuring network was obtained after inversion of the experimental resistivity measurements and validated by direct observations

Origin and residence time of groundwater in the shallow coastal aquifer of eastern Dahomey Basin, Southwestern Nigeria, using δ18O and δD isotopes

This study employed stable isotopes of δ18O and δ2H in conjunction with other hydrological parameters to understand the origin, inferred residence time, and seasonal effect of groundwater in the shallow aquifers of the eastern Dahomey Basin. A total of 230 groundwater samples (97 in the wet season and 133 in the dry season) were collected from the borehole and shallow aquifer between May 2017 and April 2018. Groundwater analysis included major ions and δ18O and δ2H, isotopes data in precipitation from three selected Global Network of Isotope in Precipitation (GNIP) stations across West Africa, Douala in Cameroon, Cotonou in Republic of Benin, and Kano in Nigeria were used in comparative analysis. Results of the hydrochemical model revealed Ca-HCO3 and Na-Cl as dominant water types with other mixing water types such as Ca–SO4, Ca–Cl, Na–SO4, and K–Mg–HCO3, which characterised early stage of groundwater transformation as it infiltrates through vadose zone into the aquifer. δ18O and δ2H precipitation data from the three stations plotted along with the groundwater samples indicate recent meteoric water origin, with little effect of evaporation during the dry season. The plot of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) against δ18O showed clustering of the water samples between the recharge and the evaporation zone with dry season samples trending towards increased TDS, which is an indication of the subtle effect of evaporation during this period. Tracing groundwater types along the flow paths within the basin is problematic and attributed to the heterogeneity of the aquifer with anthropogenic influences. Moreover, a comparison of the δ18O and δ2H isotopic compositions of groundwater and precipitation in the three selected stations, with their respective deuterium excess (D-excess) values established low evapotranspiration induced isotope enrichment, which could be due to higher precipitation and humidity in the region resulting in low isotope fractionation; hence, little effect of seasonal variations. The study, therefore, suggested groundwater recharge in the shallow aquifer in the eastern Dahomey Basin is of meteoric origin with a short residence time of water flows from soils through the vadose zone to the aquifers

Performance of a thermally deformable mirror for correction of low-order aberrations in laser beams

The thermally deformable mirror is a device aiming at correcting beam-wavefront distortions for applications where classical mechanical methods are precluded by noise considerations, as in advanced gravitational wave interferometric detectors. This moderately low-cost technology can be easily implemented and controlled thanks to the good reproducibility of the actuation. By using a flexible printed circuit board technology, we demonstrate experimentally that a device of 61 actuators in thermal contact with the back surface of a high-reflective mirror is able to correct the low-order aberrations of a laser beam at 1064 nm and could be used to optimize the mode matching into Fabry-Perot cavities