Analysis Of Longitudinal Profiles Research Articles

Distribuição dos comandos de operação em tratores agrícolas nacionais com até 55 kW de potência

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, comparar a localização dos comandos de operação em quatro tratores agrícolas novos, na faixa de 55 kW de potência: John Deere 5603, Massey Ferguson 4275, New Holland TL75E e Valtra A750. Utilizaram-se, como referência, as normas ABNT NBR ISO 4253 (1999) para determinação do Ponto de Referência do Assento (SIP) e ISO 15077 (1996), para determinação das regiões de alcance do operador sentado e das posições dos comandos de operação em relação ao SIP. Na análise do perfil vertical longitudinal os comandos frequentemente utilizados estiveram presentes, em maior número, na Zona de Conforto no trator Valtra A750 (38,5% dos comandos). Neste mesmo perfil, o trator John Deere 5603 apresentou não só 60,0% de seus comandos localizados dentro da Zona de Acesso mas também o menor percentual de comandos na Zona Inacessível do trator (20,0% dos comandos); já no perfil superior horizontal o trator Massey Ferguson 4275 apresentou 60,0% dos comandos na Zona de Conforto enquanto o trator Valtra A750 obteve o maior percentual de comandos localizados na Zona de Acesso e menor percentual na Zona Inacessíve, com 38,5 e 23,0%, respectivamente.

Erosion of a tectonically uplifting coastal landscape, NE Sicily, Italy

We investigate the relative importance of tectonic uplift, climate, and bedrock resistance as controls upon channel morphology in the active orogen of NE Sicily. The study area displays spatial variations in uplift rate, precipitation, and bedrock resistance. The significance of each of these gradients was tested using established morphometric relationships. Twenty catchments were investigated using the 28-m Aster digital elevation model (DEM) for longitudinal profile analysis, Google EarthTM to determine channel widths, and Schmidt Hammer readings to quantify bedrock strength. Based on channel morphologies and hillslope gradients, the basins exhibit three distinct reaches: upper, middle, and lower. The upper reaches of the bedrock channels display concave longitudinal profiles, positive correlation between uplift rate and steepness, and exponents in the width–area relationship of 0.4–0.5, indicating that uplift is the major control on the morphology of this reach. The middle reaches, however, display sublinear longitudinal profiles, weak correlation between uplift rate and channel steepness, and no systematic width–area relationship. We interpret this to be caused by the presence of a shear zone, which, through fracturing, has tectonically increased the bedrock erodibility, irrespective of its lithology. In the lower reaches, the channels are alluvial. Neither channel concavity nor steepness seems to be affected by the spatial variation in precipitation in any of the reaches, indicating that climate does not noticeably affect channel morphology. These observations suggest a strong tectonic influence on channel evolution in this active mountainous region. Our study illustrates how reach-scale morphometric analysis can aid understanding of how fluvial systems vary with potential controlling parameters.

Uplift history of the Sila Massif, southern Italy, deciphered from cosmogenic 10Be erosion rates and river longitudinal profile analysis

The Sila Massif in the Calabrian Arc (southern Italy) is a key site to study the response of a landscape to rock uplift. Here an uplift rate of ∼1 mm/yr has imparted a deep imprint on the Sila landscape recorded by a high‐standing low‐relief surface on top of the massif, deeply incised fluvial valleys along its flanks, and flights of marine terraces in the coastal belt. In this framework, we combined river longitudinal profile analysis with hillslope erosion rates calculated by 10Be content in modern fluvial sediments to reconstruct the long‐term uplift history of the massif. Cosmogenic data show a large variation in erosion rates, marking two main domains. The samples collected in the high‐standing low‐relief surface atop Sila provide low erosion rates (from 0.09 ± 0.01 to 0.13 ± 0.01 mm/yr). Conversely, high values of erosion rate (up to 0.92 ± 0.08 mm/yr) characterize the incised fluvial valleys on the massif flanks. The analyzed river profiles exhibit a wide range of shapes diverging from the commonly accepted equilibrium concave‐up form. Generally, the studied river profiles show two or, more frequently, three concave‐up segments bounded by knickpoints and characterized by different values of concavity and steepness indices. The wide variation in cosmogenic erosion rates and the non‐equilibrated river profiles indicate that the Sila landscape is in a transient state of disequilibrium in response to a strong and unsteady uplift not yet counterbalanced by erosion.

Quantification of fluvial incision in the Duero Basin (NW Iberia) from longitudinal profile analysis and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide concentrations

The Duero Basin is one of the largest Cenozoic basins in Iberia and contains a relatively well-preserved sedimentary infill. The top of the sedimentary sequence crops out at elevations up to 900m above sea level. The present-day basin drains to the Atlantic Ocean via the Duero River through the Arribes Gorge, but during the Cenozoic the basin experienced a long endorheic period marked by the formation of evaporites. The time the basin opened to the Atlantic Ocean and the formation of the modern Duero River drainage system remains poorly constrained. In this study we quantify the spatial distribution of river incision within bedrock and sedimentary units by comparing the nearly relict higher reaches with the lower deeply incised reaches of the tributary system. Results show an abrupt increase in stream incision westward, reaching a minimum bedrock incision depth of 600m in the Arribes Gorge. Using cosmogenic 10Be and 21Ne data we estimate exposure ages for erosion surfaces at various levels in the incised Duero River. The cosmogenic nuclide dataset suggests that the final 2–300m of fluvial incision in the Arribes Gorge occurred at a rate of 2–3mm/yr over the last ~100ka.

Perfil longitudinal e a aplicação do índice de gradiente (RDE) no rio dos Patos, bacia hidrográfica do rio Ivaí, PR

This paper presents the results of the longitudinal profile analysis and the application of gradient index (RDE) in the Patos River, a tributary of the Ivaí River basin, PR. The goal is identify and quantify the anomalous zones along river course concerning their genesis - activity neotectonic or/and lithological imposition. The Patos River has a length of 127 km and a relief amplitude of 660 m, The occurrence of an important knickpoint in the middle course the Patos River can be divided into two stretches. Of the 22 sections measured, 10 were considered anomalous, distributed in both upper and lower course. In the upper course, over a basaltic bedrock of the Serra Geral Formation the RDE values are lower than those in the lower course, where river flows over sedimentary rocks of the Terezina Formation. The 2nd order anomalies are related to lithological changes, relief alignments and channel confluences - as in the case of São João River. The 1st order anomalies are linked to differences in rock resistance associated with structural control, which provides the formation of waterfalls.

Late Quaternary fault activity in the Western Carpathians: evidence from the Vikartovce Fault (Slovakia)

Late Quaternary fault activity in the Western Carpathians: evidence from the Vikartovce Fault (Slovakia)The Cenozoic structure of the Western Carpathians is strongly controlled by faults. The E-W striking Vikartovce fault is one of the most distinctive dislocations in the region, evident by its geological structure and terrain morphology. This feature has been assumed to be a Quaternary reactivated fault according to many attributes such as its perfect linearity, faceted slopes, the distribution of travertines along the fault, and also its apparent prominent influence on the drainage network. The neotectonic character of the fault is documented herein by morphotectonic studies, longitudinal and transverse valley profile analyses, terrace system analysis, and mountain front sinuosity. Late Pleistocene activity of the Vikartovce fault is now proven by luminescence dating of fault-cut and uplifted alluvial sediments, presently located on the crest of the tilted block. These sediments must slightly pre-date the age of river redirection. Considering the results of both luminescence dating and palynological analyses, the change of river course probably occurred during the final phase of the Riss Glaciation (135 ± 14 ka). The normal displacement along the fault during the Late Quaternary has been estimated to about 105-135 m, resulting in an average slip rate of at least 0.8-1.0 mm · yr-1. The present results identify the Vikartovce fault as one of the youngest active faults in the Central Western Carpathians.

Neural network-based model for landslide susceptibility and soil longitudinal profile analyses: Two case studies

The purpose of this study was to create an empirical model for assessing the landslide risk potential at Savadkouh Azad University, which is located in the rural surroundings of Savadkouh, about 5 km from the city of Pol-Sefid in northern Iran. The soil longitudinal profile of the city of Babol, located 25 km from the Caspian Sea, also was predicted with an artificial neural network (ANN). A multilayer perceptron neural network model was applied to the landslide area and was used to analyze specific elements in the study area that contributed to previous landsliding events. The ANN models were trained with geotechnical data obtained from an investigation of the study area. The quality of the modeling was improved further by the application of some controlling techniques involved in ANN. The observed >90% overall accuracy produced by the ANN technique in both cases is promising for future studies in landslide susceptibility zonation.

The effect of land use on channel geometry and sediment distribution in gravel mantled bedrock streams, Illinois River watershed, Arkansas

AbstractHeadwater stream morphology is a direct reflection of watershed characteristics and therefore can inform our understanding of anthropogenic influence on channel geometry and sediment dynamics. Little knowledge of the geomorphology of headwater streams in the Ozark Plateaus region of northwest Arkansas exists. The Illinois River watershed, in northwest Arkansas, is of critical interest within the region because of land use changes in the headwaters due to rapid population growth. A mixture of forest and agricultural (open pasture and poultry houses) land use dominates the watershed, but urban areas are rapidly expanding. These land use types: forest, agriculture and urban are an effective proxy for increasing anthropogenic disturbance. Analysis of longitudinal profile, cross‐section and sediment distribution in streams from each land use type shows a strong trend of increasing slope and channel cross‐sectional area with a greater degree of anthropogenic disturbance. Additionally, urban streams are characterized by the presence of exposed bedrock in the stream bed, while agricultural and forested streams are gravel mantled. These data have important implications for current and future stream management policies and practices regionally. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Distribution of debris thickness and its effect on ice melt at Hailuogou glacier, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, using in situ surveys and ASTER imagery

AbstractDebris cover is widely present in glacier ablation areas of the Tibetan Plateau, and its spatial distribution greatly affects glacier melt rates. High-resolution in situ measurements of debris thickness on Hailuogou glacier, Mount Gongga, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, show pronounced inhomogeneous debris distribution. An analysis of transverse and longitudinal profiles indicates that the ground-surveyed debris thicknesses and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)-derived thermal resistances of debris layers correlate strongly over the entire ablation area. Across- and along-glacier patterns of ASTER-derived thermal resistance correspond well with spatial patterns of debris thickness, which may reflect large-scale variations in the extent and thickness of the debris cover. The ice melt rate variability over the ablation area simulated by a surface energy-balance model that considered thermal resistance of the debris layer indicates clearly the crucial role of debris and its spatial continuity in modifying the spatial characteristics of melt rates. Because of the inhomogeneous distribution of debris thickness, about 67% of the ablation area on Hailuogou glacier has undergone accelerated melting, whereas about 19% of the ablation area has experienced inhibited melting, and the sub-debris melt rate equals the bare-ice melt rate in only 14% of the ablation area.

The legacy of Pleistocene glaciation and the organization of lowland alluvial process domains in the Puget Sound region

Alluvial rivers of the eastern Puget lowland, a landscape shaped by scour and fill from the Cordilleran ice sheet, continue to respond to patterns of deposition and scour by the last-glacial-age ice sheet 18,000 years after deglaciation. Topography revealed by valley cross sections created from high resolution LIDAR digital elevation models shows that rivers are aggrading in valleys eroded by subglacial runoff and degrading in valleys incised by rivers post-glaciation. Slope-area analysis of river profiles shows that profile concavity varies systematically between river segments in the two valley contexts. Concavity indices ( θ) in mountain headwaters (0.3 < θ < 0.9) compare to those of many world rivers (0.2 < θ < 1.0), but in the lowlands these indices differ between valleys created by subglacial fluvial erosion (5 < θ < 45) and post-glacially incised river valleys that grade to base levels set by these relict glacial valleys or by post-glacial sea levels (1 < θ < 7). Dramatic differences in river pattern, landforms, and dynamics occur in valleys having contrasting (aggrading vs. degrading) and incomplete responses to Pleistocene glaciation, creating discrete valley-scale heterogeneities in fluvial process domains along and between rivers. These results point to the importance of valley-scale organization of alluvial process domains along and between rivers having profiles remaining in disequilibrium from Pleistocene glaciation. They also point to the potential usefulness of slope-area analysis of longitudinal profiles in distinguishing among different river valley process domains in lowland alluvial landscapes.

Ductile cast irons: microstructure influence on fatigue crack propagation resistance

Microstructure influence on fatigue crack propagation resistance in five different ductile cast irons(DCI) was investigated. Four ferrite/pearlite volume fractions were considered, performing fatigue crackpropagation tests according to ASTM E647 standard (R equals to 0.1, 0.5 and 0.75, respectively). Results werecompared with an austempered DCI. Damaging micromechanisms were investigated according to the followingprocedures:- “traditional” Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) fracture surfaces analysis;- SEM fracture surface analysis with 3D quantitative analysis;- SEM longitudinal crack profile analysis- Light Optical Microscope (LOM) transversal crack profile analysis;

Integrated approach to investigation of active tectonics:an example from the Calore River Fault System, southern Italy

In this paper we present the results of geological studies aimed at better constraining the recent tectonic activity in an area of the Sannio region, located along the axis of the Southern Apennines of Italy. The study area has repeatedly been affected by several historical destructive earthquakes whose genesis is still matter of debate. A multidisciplinary study was carried out in order to document evidence for recent surface activity of a NW-SE trending normal fault system, known in the literature as «Calore River Fault System». This fault system seems to have an essential role in the genesis of important historical earthquakes, such as the 1688 event. Structural analyses outline a stress field characterized by a mean NE-SW oriented extension, in accordance with breakout data and the recent seismicity, as well as published geological and geomorphological data. Geomorphological analyses, in particular the analysis of longitudinal profiles of fluvial terraces, reveal a clear tilting of the Calore River Valley terraces. Our results support the concept of the «Calore River Fault System» as an active normal fault system that plays a key-role in recent tectonic activity of the area.

Rating City and County of Denver Urban Pavement Constructability Using a Profiler

The international roughness index (IRI) was developed in 1986 to generate a longitudinal roadway profile analysis tool for asphalt surfaces. The IRI is typically applied to freeway and rural highway facilities where uninterrupted spans of asphalt are expected. The city and county of Denver (CCD) in cooperation with the University of Colorado Denver have examined the application of the IRI to urban roadway facilities. Elements of urban roadways that influence IRI values include drainage infrastructure and cross-street access. This paper details the equipment and methodology used to address challenges in assessing urban constructed roadways with the IRI. Repeatability studies were completed using five different inspectors involved in the data collection activities. The results indicated that repeatability varied between different inspectors by approximately 2%. A before-repair and after-repair study was completed on newly resurfaced roadways around the CCD in an attempt to establish a set of baseline values for the application of the IRI to urban roadways. The IRI values for a sample of 23 test cases showed a weighted average postpaving improvement of approximately 36%. Recommended urban IRI values for good and acceptable surfaces are suggested at 150 in./mi (2,367.44 mm/km) and 220 in./mi (3,472.24 mm/km), respectively.

Late Neogene mountain building of eastern Kunlun orogen: Constrained by DEM analysis

Topography, as a net result of the dynamic interaction between endogenesis and exogene- sis, holds immense information on tectonic uplift, surface erosion and thus mountain building. The eastern Kunlun (昆仑) orogen, which experienced significant Late Neogene tectonic uplift and is located in an arid environment, is advantageous for morphotectonic analysis based on well-preserved tectonic landforms. The digital elevation model (DEM) analysis was carried out for the central segment of the eastern Kunlun orogen based on shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) data. River longitudinal profile analysis indicates that major rivers across the orogen are characterized by high river gradient indexes and intensive tectonic uplift. Differential uplift was also identified in swath-topography analysis in the studied area, which can be divided into three major tectonic-geomorphic units by orogenic- strike-parallel faults. It is indicated that the most active region is located to the south of the Xidatan (西 大滩) fault with significant differential uplift. Another identified fault with differential uplift is the Middle Kunlun fault; however, the timing of which is suggested to be much older than that of the Xidatan fault. These analyses are concordantly supported by both field survey and studies of thermo- chronology, which in turn indicates that the DEM analysis bears great potential in morphotectonic analysis.

The Plio-Quaternary uplift of the Apennine chain: new data from the analysis of topography and river valleys in Central Italy

This study aims at the reconstruction of magnitude and timing of surface uplift affecting a wide sector of the Central Apennines (Italy) by means of morphometric and morphostructural analyses. In the chain interiors (where stratigraphic and geomorphological markers of past sea-level positions are lacking) the study is based on analysis of erosional landforms and river valleys. A large-scale topographic analysis, by processing 90-m and 230-m DEMs, is performed. The spatial distribution of several morphometric parameters, together with characteristic wavelengths of relief, allowed the differentiation of three main regions affected by different cumulative surface uplift and tectonic/erosional fragmentation: a Peri-Tyrrhenian Belt, an Axial Belt and a Peri-Adriatic Belt. Particular attention is devoted to fluvial landforms, with analysis of longitudinal profiles and geometric pattern of the main drainage lines and their relations with the major structures. Major differences occur between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic valley systems. The Tyrrhenian drainage mainly consists of longitudinal valleys displaying overall concave-up longitudinal profiles. The Adriatic drainage is mainly constituted by transverse streams and shows less regular longitudinal profiles. Topographic features and the river valley architecture seem related to different styles and amounts of uplift in the three belts. Within the study area, a coast to coast transect (Gaeta-Vasto Transect, GVT) has been investigated in detail, focusing the analysis on its axial sector, around the Apennines main divide (Main Divide Area, MDA). A possible scheme of Quaternary surface uplift along the GVT is proposed. In the MDA, the main stages of landscape evolution and drainage organization can be reconstructed by means of the analysis of paleosurfaces coupled with study of the relict and present-day drainage networks. This allowed the recognition of a major phase of surface uplift (exceeding 1500 m in the Meta-Mainarde massif) that occurred in response to thrusting during the Pliocene. For Quaternary surface uplift a minimum value of 400 m can be estimated. This study suggests that, during the Quaternary, the Peri-Tyrrhenian Belt suffered a subdued uplift acting over small wavelengths (10–15 km), while the Axial and Peri-Adriatic Belts were subject to a larger and long-wavelength (90 km) surface uplift, with maximum values (about 700 m) shifted to the NE of the Axial Belt and tapering to zero towards the Adriatic coast. The reconstructed pattern of uplift is coherent with the topographic properties of the three belts and with the observed drainage features.

Measurement of longitudinal structure of hadron showers up to twenty nuclear interaction lengths

Longitudinal profiles of pion and proton showers are measured, up to 20 nuclear interaction lengths at the energies of 20–180 GeV, Measurements have been performed in the iron-scintillation hadron Tile calorimeter of the ATLAS Project on the beams of the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at the European Organization of Nuclear Research (CERN). Comparative analysis of longitudinal profiles of pion and proton showers was made. The experimental data were parameterized and compared with the results of Monte-Carlo simulation.

Comparison of three growth modeling techniques in the multilevel analysis of longitudinal academic achievement scores: Latent growth modeling, hierarchical linear modeling, and longitudinal profile analysis via multidimensional scaling

This study introduces three growth modeling techniques: latent growth modeling (LGM), hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), and longitudinal profile analysis via multidimensional scaling (LPAMS). It compares the multilevel growth parameter estimates and potential predictor effects obtained using LGM, HLM, and LPAMS. The purpose of this multilevel growth analysis is to alert applied researchers to selected analytical issues that are required for consideration in decisions to apply one of these three approaches to longitudinal academic achievement studies. The results indicated that there were no significant distinctions on either mean growth parameter estimates or on the effects of potential predictors to growth factors at both the student and school levels. However, the study also produced equivocal findings on the statistical testing of variance and covariance growth parameter estimates. Other practical issues pertaining to the three growth modeling methods are also discussed.

Modeling of knickpoint retreat on the Roan Plateau, western Colorado

The Roan Plateau in western Colorado constitutes a natural experiment for studying landscape response to a drop in base level. Late Cenozoic incision of the upper Colorado River led to elevational isolation of the Plateau and initiation of a wave of incision into its southern edge. Knickpoints (oversteepened reaches that contain waterfalls 60–110 m in height) mark the upstream extent of this headward propagating wave. That this incision has occurred in a laterally extensive, well‐stratified, and essentially flat‐lying bedrock and in an area with relatively uniform climate, implies that it should serve as a good test of existing knickpoint propagation models. We predict the locations of knickpoints by using a stream power‐based celerity model, in which knickpoint recession rate is a power function of drainage area and is proportional to rock susceptibility to erosion. Models of the Parachute and Roan drainages (17 and 16 knickpoints, respectively) show expected rapid initial knickpoint propagation rates, which decline as drainage area decreases stepwise at tributary junctions. The modeled positions of knickpoints match well with observed features, using a single combination of parameters to model retreat in both drainage basins. We compare our celerity model results with past studies and explore how longitudinal profile analysis may be used to derive independently the exponent on drainage area in the celerity model.

Effects of tectonics and lithology on long profiles of 16 rivers of the southern Central Massif border between the Aude and the Orb (France)

The analysis of longitudinal profiles of river channels and terraces in the southern Central Massif border, between the Aude and the Orb, allows the detection of anomalies caused by lithology and/or tectonic distortions. The rivers which have abnormally high slope and non-lithological knickzones indicate the main uplifted zones: the Montagne Noire and the Saint-Chinian ridge. A geomorphological and sedimentological analysis of detrital deposits was carried out as a basis for correlating the different formations, reconstructing the palaeodrainage and finding the main uplift and fluvial incision stages. During the Miocene, uplift remains limited as it is shown by the correlative fine deposits in the Languedocian piedmont. The Messinian incision (5.7–5.3 Ma) does not cross the Saint-Chinian ridge. On the other hand, fluvial incision becomes widespread in the Montagne Noire during the Upper Pliocene (3.4–2 Ma) when coarse deposits overlie either the Pliocene clay in the Orb palaeovalley or the Messinian conglomerates at the Cesse outlet. An Upper Pliocene uplift of the Montagne Noire and of the Saint-Chinian ridge is the cause of this incision and also of the diversion of the Cesse towards the Aude. Where the uplift rate was higher than incision rate, knickzones have developed like in the Avant-Monts south-side. The knickzones of lithological origin maintain a strong vertical stability during all the river incision stages. On the other hand, those of tectonic origin or base level lowering record upstream migration and their rate of retreat is controlled by the river discharge. As incision occurs only during the cold/temperate transition periods during the Quaternary, upward erosion slowly migrates (15 km since the Upper Pliocene, on the Orb) and so does not reach the riverheads.

Comparison in Morphotectonic Analysis of Selected Basins in Nineveh Governorate North of Iraq

The present study deals with morphotectonic analysis of eight surface drainage basins which varies in their basin geometry. These basins are distributed within the major structural zones in Nineveh Governorate north of Iraq. Analysis of longitudinal valley profiles of these basins indicated their effects by a group of morphotectonic variables, which characterized each distinct segments differently. Both bifurcation ratio and mean order length relationships against the drainage basin orders showed clear evidences to differentiate between effected and non effected basins with active tectonic deformation. These comparisons demonstrate a new concept that might be able to utilize in morphotectonic comparison studies.