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Copyright of Plateau Meteorology is the property of Plateau Meteorology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although geoheritage is gaining importance wordwide, much appreciation is still required for the overlooked geoheritage resources. The geoheritage of Saudi Arabia is promising and gaining much attention towards geoconversation and geotourism, but thematic publications are limited compared to the global context. This paper aims to identify the relevant geosites in Saudi Arabia according to the IUCN theme and propose a geoheritage strategic plan. For identification of the geosite, we have conducted a comprehensive review of published literature and online material, including web blogs, YouTube videos, social media, and governmental websites. For the strategic plan for known/unknown geosite, published literature from established geoparks with similar key landforms has been reviewed. Seven IUCN themes can be linked with the geoheritage of Saudi Arabia. Most of these sites are local tourist spots, therefore, immense potential for the geotourism development. The key geomorphological heritage in Saudi Arabia is volcanic harrat, escarpment, cave, mesas, butte, pinnacle, canyon, island, aeolian dune, and submarine corals. Geological heritage includes various fossils in Tuwaiq Mountain. Submarine geoheritage includes different colourful corals and rock structures with high scientific value. Biodiversity-protected area and cultural heritage site enhance the geoheritage value of the geosite, and its geotourism importance.

ABSTRACTThis paper accompanies the Maps of Geohazard features of the Cilento and the Calabro-Tyrrhenian continental margin in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). The main geohazard-related features were derived from extensive seafloor mapping through the collection of high-resolution multibeam data acquired during several oceanographic cruises. They encompass many fluids seepage features, fault scarps, landslides scars, gullies, channels, and canyons. Hazards related to coastal landslides and shelf-indenting canyons are very high in these sectors (especially in southern Calabria) due to active seismicity coupled with rapid uplift, high sedimentation rates and narrow or totally absent continental shelf, thus promoting a direct connection between steep slopes and coastal areas. In this setting, mass-wasting features can directly impact coastal or submarine infrastructures or indirectly create local tsunami waves, as observed in historical times. Moreover, this physiographic setting of the margin facilitates the transfer of marine litter toward deep-sea areas.

NEOM in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia comprises of range of geodiversity like desert, mountain, and coast. This paper is a pioneering approach to document the geoheritage value of key landforms with outstanding scientific, educational, touristic, and additional value. The objective of this study is to prepare an inventory of the key geosites. The methodology involves the identification of geosites and geoheritage assessment and identifies geotourism potential. The study revealed ten key geosites, classified into geomorphological, geological, and geoarchaeological sites. Major key landforms are canyon, yardang, honeycomb structure, columnar basaltic lava, syn- and post-sedimentary deformation, denuded landscape, gullies in evaporite, alluvial fan, dyke swarm, and valley. The tectonic process in different geological phases formed various-scale deformations and fault structures, modified by rainfall and fluvial systems, including various gully and alluvial fans. Further, substantial shifting of the environment from the fluvial to the aeolian environment and weathering along the tectonic structures within a single territory of NEOM represent the geodiversity. Biodiversity and archaeological imprint in the geosites enhanced the additional value of the geosite. The study recommends that these ten sites be conserved and promoted for geotourism through the involvement of academicians, policymakers, and local people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although geoheritage is gaining importance wordwide, much appreciation is still required for the overlooked geoheritage resources. The geoheritage of Saudi Arabia is promising and gaining much attention towards geoconversation and geotourism, but thematic publications are limited compared to the global context. This paper aims to identify the relevant geosites in Saudi Arabia according to the IUCN theme and propose a geoheritage strategic plan. For identification of the geosite, we have conducted a comprehensive review of published literature and online material, including web blogs, YouTube videos, social media, and governmental websites. For the strategic plan for known/unknown geosite, published literature from established geoparks with similar key landforms has been reviewed. Seven IUCN themes can be linked with the geoheritage of Saudi Arabia. Most of these sites are local tourist spots, therefore, immense potential for the geotourism development. The key geomorphological heritage in Saudi Arabia is volcanic harrat, escarpment, cave, mesas, butte, pinnacle, canyon, island, aeolian dune, and submarine corals. Geological heritage includes various fossils in Tuwaiq Mountain. Submarine geoheritage includes different colourful corals and rock structures with high scientific value. Biodiversity-protected area and cultural heritage site enhance the geoheritage value of the geosite, and its geotourism importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper accompanies the Maps of Geohazard features of the Cilento and the Calabro- Tyrrhenian continental margin in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). The main geohazardrelated features were derived from extensive seafloor mapping through the collection of high-resolution multibeam data acquired during several oceanographic cruises. They encompass many fluids seepage features, fault scarps, landslides scars, gullies, channels, and canyons. Hazards related to coastal landslides and shelf-indenting canyons are very high in these sectors (especially in southern Calabria) due to active seismicity coupled with rapid uplift, high sedimentation rates and narrow or totally absent continental shelf, thus promoting a direct connection between steep slopes and coastal areas. In this setting, masswasting features can directly impact coastal or submarine infrastructures or indirectly create local tsunami waves, as observed in historical times. Moreover, this physiographic setting of the margin facilitates the transfer of marine litter toward deep-sea areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal solitary waves (ISWs) occur in stratified seawater and are characterized by substantial amplitudes and short periods. ISWs engender significant interactions between seawater and seafloor topography. They resuspend seabed sediments in various ways, and the submarine canyon acts as a main channel for transporting the suspended sediments from the shallow sea to the deep sea. Among the seas worldwide where ISWs are prevalent, the South China Sea exhibits the largest amplitude of ISWs, and the ISWs directly interact with the seafloor topography near the Dongsha area in the northern South China Sea. Through the analysis of the water profile and high-resolution multi-beam detection data in the vicinity of the Dongsha area, it was found that the submarine canyon exerts a great impact on the sediment resuspension and the bottom nepheloid layer formation induced by ISWs. The observation results show that the concentration of suspended particulate matter within the submarine canyon is remarkably higher than that outside the canyon. The concentration at the bottom of the canyon can reach twice that of the outside regions, forming a vast bottom nepheloid layer. In addition, with the presence of the submarine canyon, the suspended matter carried by the ISWs accumulates in the water column above the canyon, leading to a higher concentration above the canyon. ISWs not only could influence the submarine canyons, but also interacted with it. This interaction enhanced the resuspension and transport of seafloor sediments along submarine canyons and trenches. This study deepens the understanding of the effect of ISWs on sediment resuspension in submarine canyons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land-detached Gollum Channel System (GCS) is one of very few large-scale canyon-channel systems on the Northwest European margin and thought to be of high importance in both along-slope and downslope sediment transport processes in the Porcupine Seabight basin. It is, however, unknown when this system was formed and how active it has been throughout its evolution, making it difficult to assess its regional impact. Here, using well data integrated with airgun seismic reflection data, a seismic stratigraphy (Cretaceous to present) is built for the GCS for the first time. We find that, contrary to what was thought before, the GCS was formed before Quaternary glaciations occupied the continental shelf and its origin is tentatively associated to a phase of Northeast Atlantic margin tilting in the early Pliocene. Each of the channels that make up the GCS was initiated by incision from erosive downslope gravity flows originating on the Celtic Sea Shelf. Gravity flows from Quaternary glacial processes reused the channels and mostly bypassed the upper slope or contributed to the channel fill, though some flows were capable of erosion of existing channel flanks and incision of several smaller channels. Additionally, we show that this margin was incised by erosive gravity flows on several occasions through time and that these incisions seem to follow preferential pathways. Interaction with along-slope bottom currents from the start of the Quaternary onwards was crucial to distribute sediments and nutrients to sediment drifts and cold-water coral mounds further north (downstream) along the Irish margin.

Geotourism activities are increasing day by day for the purposes of research, learning, visiting, and geological protection. Today, georoutes, as cultural routes, are accepted as an important activity area that offers various activities to visitors who want to learn about the historical, cultural and natural heritage of a region and provides the distribution of income from tourism to large areas. With its unique cultural and architectural history, geological and geomorphological features, Safranbolu plays the role of hosting for one of Türkiye’s culturally important regions. In this study, it is aimed to transfer the geological heritage elements that make up the geotourism locations of Safranbolu to the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment and to determine the georoutes using the network analysis method. The proposed GIS route analysis reveals a great potential for geotourism in the region for geo-heritage asset detection in the digital environment, considering the economic benefits and time savings. In this manner, it will be possible to visit and protect almost all of the assets in the field by using this road map created during the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine canyon is an important channel for long-distance sediment transport, and an important part of deep-water sedimentary system. The large-scale Rizhao Canyons have been discovered for the first time in 2015 in the continental slope area of the western South China Sea. Based on the interpretation and analysis of multi-beam bathymetry and two-dimensional multi-channel seismic data, the geology of the canyons has however not been studied yet. In this paper, the morphology and distribution characteristics of the canyon are carefully described, the sedimentary filling structure and its evolution process of the canyon are analyzed, and then its controlling factors are discussed. The results show that Rizhao Canyons group is a large slope restricted canyon group composed of one east–west west main and nine branch canyons extending to the south. The canyon was formed from the late Miocene to the Quaternary. The east–west main canyon is located in the transition zone between the northern terrace and the southern Zhongjiannan Slope, and it is mainly formed by the scouring and erosion of the material source from the west, approximately along the slope direction. Its development and evolution is mainly controlled by sediment supply and topographic conditions, the development of 9 branch canyons is mainly controlled by gravity flow and collapse from the east–west main canyon. This understanding result is a supplement to the study of "source-channel–sink" sedimentary system in the west of the South China Sea, and has important guiding significance for the study of marine geological hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to overcome the unexpected hydrocarbon non-potentiality detected in the upper Alam El-Bueib (I to IIIE) and justify the hydrocarbon accumulation within Alam El-Bueib (IIIG) at the Emry oil field, also, it is important to highlight the importance of fault seal analysis and the impact of Matruh canyon as a seal. Seismic interpretation and 3D structural framework are carried out using the fault-seal analysis technique for fault no.1 (F1). To assess the fault zone's capacity to be defined as either seal or leakage. Litho-facies juxtaposition diagram (Allan diagram) and Shale Gouge Ratio (SGR) were generated. It is concluded that the possible reason for the dry reservoir of the upper part of Alam El Bueib (Alam El Bueib I to IIIE) due to the leakage of the fault (F1). On the other hand, the seal mechanism for Alam El Bueib IIIG is mainly related to increasing the thickness of the Matruh shale and Matruh Canyon act as a seal rock. SGR for Alam El Bueib IIIG is around 80%, which confirms the presence of the shale in Matruh Canyon is the reason for accumulating the hydrocarbon at Alam El Bueib IIIG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• -Landscape connectivity is a key issue in distribution of plant species. • -Potential corridors and density of corridor were modeled using LCPs and LCC analysis. • -M. peregrina species has a high dispersal potential in the canyons landform. • -Soil texture and altitude are the most important variables in drawn corridors. • -Topographic heterogeneity plays a positive role in the corridors with high flow density. Understanding the effects of landscape structures on species distribution is critical in landscape connectivity studies. Moringa peregrina is a subtropical plant that exhibits specialized habitat selection and is facing local extinction due to drought and habitat destruction. By modeling distribution and habitat connectivity, the present study highlights the effect of different landforms on the distribution of M. peregrina in southeastern Iran. After recording the presence points (61 points), species distribution models (SDMs) were developed based on topographic, vegetation cover, and soil variables using Classification and Regression Tree (CART), Random Forest (RF), TreeNET, Logistic Regression (LR), and Generalized Path Seeker (GPS) models. The models were validated based on the Area Under the Curve (AUC), accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and precision metrics. The results of single models were combined through a weighting method and the inverse of the integrated map was used as the cost map. The landscape connectivity between the presence points was modeled using Least-Cost Paths (LCPs) and Least-Cost Corridors (LCC) analyses based on potential corridors (LCC landscape) and intensity of use (LCPs_Line_Density). The effect of landforms on presence/pseudo-absence points and habitat connectivity was analyzed using the Chi-square test and cumulative frequency curve, respectively. According to the results, dataset 122 yielded the best results, and soil texture variables (sand and silt) and physiographic variables (elevation, slope, and hillshade) had the greatest effects on the habitat suitability in the region. A significant difference was found between the presence and pseudo-absence points in different landforms (p -value < 0.01). Among the landform types, canyons covered about 68% of the LCC, whereas plains did not play a role in the coverage of the linkages detected. Thus, M. peregrina has greater distribution potential in the canyons. This type of landform, with a high sand content, a light soil texture, a slope of less than 20%, and high-quality linkages at elevations over 500 m, plays a vital role in creating high-intensity linkages. The analysis of the changes in environmental parameters along the linkages showed that the greatest variable heterogeneity is found in topography, while the soil variables are homogeneous along the linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic and drilling data were obtained to study the paleo-karst development conditions and cave developmental characteristics of the Middle-Lower Ordovician in the incised meandering canyon area on the western slope of Tahe Oilfield, Tarim Basin. Using layer leveling, tectonic trend surface, amplitude anomaly and other methods, the paleo-hydrogeographic conditions and paleo-karst fluid system were restored, the types of karst caves in the incised meandering canyon area were divided, and the development model of karst caves under the background of incised meandering canyons was re-constructed. Results showed that: (1) Early Hercynian paleo-karst was developed in the study area. The paleo-geomorphology was generally high in the east and low in the west. The karst geomorphic units were mainly valleys, karst hills and depressions. The incised meandering of the main surface water system was the lowest karst water discharge benchmark in the study area, and the underground and surface branch water systems converged from the southern and northern platforms to the central main body. (2) The underground river caves in the incised meandering canyon area were identified as subterranean river type, swallet stream type, perforated type, phreatic type along river valley and vadose type of sink hole, which were mainly distributed 0-90 m below unconformity surface. The perforated type and phreatic type along river valley were easy to be filled by mud. (3) Incised meandering canyon, karst residual hill and fault controlled the development of ancient karst caves, forming a central confluence karst cave model in the Early Hercynian incised meandering canyon area of the Tahe karst basin.

Copyright of Water Conservancy Science & Techonlogy & Economy is the property of Water Conservancy Science & Technology & Economy Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Numerous publications by domestic and foreign authors deal with a significant role of underwater canyons in transit of loose material from the littoral to the abyssal surfaces of the seas. Lake Baikal fully corresponds in its hydrodynamic and bathymetric parameters to sea water basins, and the Baikal canyons are similar in their morphological and morphometric factors to sea canyons. A digital elevation model of the southwest underwater tip of the lake, generated based on a large array of bathymetric data, allowed identifying clearly defined valleys of the Shamanka and Slyudyanka canyons. The data obtained during the study of the canyon-valley area, carried out using special geophysical measuring instruments – Kongsberg EM710S multibeam echosounder and Knudsen CHIRP 3260 profilograph, – and analysis of the published materials showed a rather high degree of confindness of coarse debris to the canyon valleys and alluvial fans which implies their significant role in sediment transit. It has been shown that high seismicity of the Baikal basin and active wave conditions give rise to the formation of movable loose sediment masses and to the occurrence of gravity flows in the canyon valleys. Climate changes over the last decades contribute also to permafrost decomposition in the Baikal basin and to new-sediment transport into the lake. It is implied that an intensive development of the coastline leads to the coastal accumulation of a large amount of industrial and municipal contaminants which can move through the canyons to different distances into the lake water area. To date, there is no definite answer to the question about an actual role of underwater canyons in the transit of technogenic wastes to the abyssal lake surface. This requires organized large-scale specialized fieldwork with the use of high-precision geological-geophysical measuring instruments, and systematic sampling and thorough analysis of the bottom material.

The Miljacka Canyon is very interesting for various botanical researches, including phytocenological ones. After three years of study, a new community Asplenio trichomani-Geranietum robertianii comb.nova has been described. The method that was used was a phytocenological image according to Braun-Blanquet with all the most important parameters. The study was conducted in two phases: the field and the laboratory one. All relevant data were collected in the field one and processed in the laboratory phase. For the community, in addition to the floristic composition, data on life forms, phytocenological affiliation, indicator values and floral elements are also given. 36 species from 21 families were identified. The most numerous families are: Rosaceae, Asteraceae and Fabaceae and the most important plants of this association are: Asplenium trichomanes, Geranium robertianum, Sesleria angustifolia and Campanula rotundifolia. Phenological data for the most important species are also given. The following species orders predominate in the association: Amphoricarpetalia, Fagetalia and Quercetalia pubescentis. Of the indicator values, the largest number of species belongs to the primary, the most important life form is hemicryptophyte and the floral element is sub-Mediterranean. High level of forest species was also determined, due to vicinage of the forest ecosystem. Data on one endangered species found in this association are also given. The names of plant species are in accordance to the “Flora Europea”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impacts of urban configurations on thermal perceptions in Flat Bandar Tasik Selatan (FBTS) and Surya Magna (SM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It aims to understand the impacts of urban configurations on thermal perceptions in outdoor spaces. The study addresses the following research questions: (1) Do urban configurations influence outdoor comfort? (2) Do urban configurations also have significant impacts on thermal perceptions? We mapped out the sites to understand their configurations. The research considered on-site measurements of the environmental conditions and carried out modelling and simulations (ENVI-met V3.1) of the sites. Mathematical models (Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and Standard Effective Temperature (SET)) were used to determine the thermal indices and the impact of the urban configurations on outdoor comfort. The thermal indices varied from 25.44 to 34.75 °C. In terms of the main contribution of this work, the results show that in hot and humid climate regions, urban configurations plus other design variables (e.g., orientation towards the Sun's path) and environmental parameters influence occupants' comfort and perceptions. Our findings show that high solar radiation and the need for a better thermal environment in hot and humid climates are the contributing factors for developing alternative urban configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oke’s model is one of the most successful models presented to simulate maximum nocturnal urban heat island’s intensity (UHI) based on the urban canyons’ aspect ratio parameter. The aspect ratio parameter is known as one of the indicators of urban geometry. Since this simulation requires various spatial and descriptive analyzes (especially topological analyzes), the use of geospatial information systems is inevitable. In this study, the efficiency of Oke’s model is evaluated using regression analysis and land surface temperature (LST) calculated from ASTER data and single-channel algorithm (SCA), and a local model is presented to simulate the maximum nocturnal urban heat island intensity of the area of study. The coefficient of determination and correlation calculated based on regression analysis are 0.74 and 0.86, respectively. These quantities show a relatively strong linear relationship between the urban geometry index and nocturnal urban heat island’s intensity and the significant effect of urban geometry on nocturnal urban heat island intensity. The root mean squared error (RMSE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) of the presented local model are ±0.80 and 0.67, respectively, showing the acceptable accuracy of the presented local model in simulation of UHI intensity. Two-variable regression analysis shows a greater effect of the height of buildings on UHI intensity’s changes compared to the width of the streets. The sign of the coefficients above shows this effect is increasing in terms of the height of the buildings and decreasing in terms of the width of the streets.

Fields of Lagrangian ( T L ) and Eulerian ( T E ) time scales of the turbulence within a regular array of two-dimensional obstacles of unit aspect ratio have been determined by means of a water-channel experiment reproducing the atmospheric boundary layer in neutral conditions. It has been found that there is a strong spatial inhomogeneity both of the scales and of their ratio, β = T L / T E . The results can provide useful information on numerical modelling of tracer dispersion in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus 70 (EV70) is a human pathogen belonging to the family Picornaviridae. EV70 is transmitted by eye secretions and causes acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, a serious eye disease. Despite the severity of the disease caused by EV70, its structure is unknown. Here, we present the structures of the EV70 virion, altered particle, and empty capsid determined by cryo-electron microscopy. The capsid of EV70 is composed of the subunits VP1, VP2, VP3, and VP4. The partially collapsed hydrophobic pocket located in VP1 of the EV70 virion is not occupied by a pocket factor, which is commonly present in other enteroviruses. Nevertheless, we show that the pocket can be targeted by the antiviral compounds WIN51711 and pleconaril, which block virus infection. The inhibitors prevent genome release by stabilizing EV70 particles. Knowledge of the structures of complexes of EV70 with inhibitors will enable the development of capsid-binding therapeutics against this virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local site conditions, especially complex topography and geological structure, play a critical role in determining the peak acceleration and spectral representation of ground motions under earthquakes; however, they are not yet considered sufficiently in ground motion prediction equations. The scattering of seismic waves by complex site conditions leads to complexity for quantifying the relation among incident waves, site conditions, and site amplification effect based on traditional regression technology. This article explores the prediction performance for local site amplification effect on ground motion using a machine learning-based model, including the support vector machine, extreme learning machine, classical artificial neural network, and two optimizing algorithms with an artificial neural network. A typical local topography, a canyon with cliffs, is studied as an example, and the site amplification effect generated by scattering is determined by the boundary element method. The results indicate that the extreme learning machine and artificial neural network can predict the local site effect of ground motion, while the support vector machine does not yield reliable estimates. The particle swarm optimization and adaptive differential evolution can improve the predicted accuracy, and the adaptive differential evolution-artificial neural network algorithm has slightly better performance and stability. The incident frequency and depth of cliffs are significant parameters for the site amplification effect, whereas the depth of the V-shaped canyon is relatively insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complicated natural topography, such as a cavity beneath a canyon, can cause considerable ground motion during earthquakes. This phenomenon is referred to as a site effect. An awareness of site effects can help to reduce damage to property and loss of life. However, modeling the highly complex interactions between a cavity and a canyon requires considerable mesh skills. In this study, we developed a novel, systematic approach to meshing this kind of complicated topography, wherein irregularities are meshed via arithmetic progression, the formula of the internal division point, and the transfinite interpolation (TFI) function. We then implemented a hybrid method combining Lamb's series with the finite element method (FEM) in conjunction with the proposed meshing skill to resolve the problem of anti-plane scattering. The results were verified using two degenerated models: a semi-circular canyon and a cavity beneath a planar surface. We made a detailed account of how the responses of u y at the surface of the semi-circular canyon and around the surface of the circular cavity were affected by the incident angle of SH waves ( Θ), dimensionless frequency ( η), and variations in the radius of the circular cavity ( a 1 ). Interestingly, the responses of u y were affected by the following site effects: (1) plate-like effects related to the buried depth of the circular cavity, (2) canyon-decay effects due to the existence of the canyon, and (3) creep effects associated with the curvature and size of circular cavity. The patterns of u y at the free surface and surface of the circular cavity are affected by each of the aforementioned site effects, which all depend profoundly on Θ , η and a 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure-canyon-structure interaction is investigated using a whole model of two shear walls supported by rigid foundations on both sides of a semi-circle river-canyon embedded in a homogenous half-space. A closed-form analytical solution is presented for the model response to incident plane SH-wave based on the wave function expansion method. The analysis focuses on the effects of the structure-canyon-structure interaction. Structure-canyon-structure interaction depends not only on the distances between canyon and structures but also on the frequency of the incident wave and the incident angle. For inclined wave incidence, the response of structure on the incoming wave side is always larger than that of the outgoing wave side. The peak of building foundation response can be enlarged by about 69.68%, and the peak relative response of the building can be amplified by 60.40%. The interaction cannot be ignored, even when the distances between the canyon and the structures are very large. The canyon response is highly related to the dynamic characteristics of the structures on both sides of the river. This paper is an attempt on site–city interaction, a problem closer to practical real problems. The model and the results may be useful for obtaining insight into the effects of structure-canyon-structure interaction and interpreting the observed response in buildings and seismic response estimation in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Near Architecture is the property of Journal of Near East Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Collapse is a common geomorphic process in karst areas, especially on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which has a tectonic background of integral uplift. The frequent occurrence of collapse processes in karst underground caves and canyons indicates that collapses play an important role in the formation of canyons. Through an analysis of the morphology of a semicircular cliff in the Huajiang Grand Canyon and an investigation of sediments at the bottom of the cliff, a large-scale collapse event was found to have occurred. U-series dating of secondary calcium carbonate cement in the collapse breccias indicates that collapse processes occurred approximately 200 ka. According to the geomorphological evolution of the Huajiang Grand Canyon, the following geomorphic evolutionary process is proposed: underground river—cave hall—collapse of a tiankeng—tiankeng degradation—canyon formation. These findings also show that the dating of collapsed breccia cement can be effectively used to determine the development times of karst canyons and the formation ages of tiankengs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphology is one of the principal driving forces governing the sedimentology and evolution of delta‐canyon‐fan systems. However, quantified and systematic studies of morphological controls are still very limited. This study applied hydraulic‐based stratigraphic forward modelling to investigate the impacts of morphological parameters on sediment budget partitioning and channel network of delta‐canyon‐fan systems on passive margins. A total of six sets of stratigraphic forward models are built using 47 initial bathymetries with six varying morphological parameters: shelf gradient; shelf width; slope gradient; canyon sinuosity; canyon depth; and basin gradient. The quantified relationships between morphological parameters and sedimentological parameters (dimensions, deposition/erosion volume/area, number of tributaries and slope channels) are investigated. The causes behind the relationships are explored by analyzing the response of qualified sedimentary features to morphological controls, such as grain‐size distribution, channel migration and sequence stratigraphic frame. The results suggest that low shelf gradient, low shelf width, high canyon gradient and low canyon sinuosity are beneficial for sediment budget partitioning into deep basins and turbidity currents to flow inside canyons. Low canyon depth also promotes sediment delivery but results in more channels on canyon flanks. For the delta, channel lateral migration increases then decreases with increasing shelf gradient due to the gradient threshold in determining channel sinuosity; delta size increases then stops increasing with increasing shelf width due to the shelf width threshold in determining the balance between accommodation and sediment supply. For the canyon, low canyon gradient, high canyon sinuosity and low canyon depth have similar effects on canyons, all resulting in significant channel translation and canyon widening but less canyon head retrogradation. This study improves the knowledge of controlling factors and sediment transport regime of a delta–canyon–fan system. Moreover, the observed relationships could provide semi‐quantitative guidelines to predict the dimensions of delta–canyon–fan systems and the distribution of hydrocarbon reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tavira. Revista Electrónica de Formación de Profesorado en Comunicación Lingüística y Literaria is the property of Tavira. Revista electronica de formacion de profesorado en comunicacion linguistica y literaria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Sedimentologica Sinica is the property of Acta Sedimentologica Sinica Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The location of mixing due to internal tides is important for both the ocean circulation as well as local biogeochemical processes. Numerous observations and modeling studies have shown that submarine canyons may be regions of enhanced internal tide‐driven mixing, but there has not yet been a systematic study of all submarine canyons resolved in bathymetric datasets. Here, we parameterize the internal tide‐driven dissipation from a suite of simulations and pair this with a global high‐resolution, internal tide‐resolving model and bathymetric dataset to estimate the internal‐tide‐driven dissipation that occurs in all documented submarine canyons. We find that submarine canyons dissipate a significant fraction of the incoming internal tide's energy, which is consistent with observations. When globally integrated, submarine canyons are responsible for dissipating 30.8–75.3 GW, or 3.2%–7.8% of the energy input into the M2‐frequency internal tides. This percentage of the internal tide energy that is dissipated in submarine canyons is comparable to or larger than previous calculations using extrapolations from observations of single canyons. Plain Language Summary: Internal waves, or waves that propagate in density layers below the surface of the ocean, are responsible for transporting a significant amount of energy throughout the ocean. When these waves break, they deposit their energy in local mixing events. Submarine canyons have been identified as a type of topography that leads to significant internal wave‐driven mixing. In this study, we use a global map of canyons, together with a high‐resolution ocean model, to calculate the percentage of internal wave energy that is lost to mixing in submarine canyons. We find that a significant fraction of the incident internal wave energy is lost within each submarine canyon. We then sum the energy loss for all submarine canyons to calculate the amount of internal wave‐driven mixing that occurs within canyons over the global ocean. We find that approximately 5%, a non‐negligible amount, of the energy in the global M2‐frequency internal wavefield is lost in canyons. This percentage of the internal wave energy that is lost in submarine canyons is comparable to or larger than previous calculations using extrapolations from observations of single canyons. Key Points: We present a framework for estimating the range of global internal tide‐driven dissipation in submarine canyonsSubmarine canyons may dissipate approximately 5% of the energy input into the global internal tidesPrior estimates of canyon‐driven dissipation may be underestimates, as regions of max canyon‐induced mixing have been un‐ or under‐observed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst terrains have varied abiotic and biotic values. However, due to their unfavourable conditions for human settling, they are relatively sparsely populated areas. Thus, karst terrains merit and are suitable for nature protection. In this paper, partly or mostly karstic European national parks (NP) and geoparks (GP) are studied. We compiled a dataset based on official information and internet sources, and analysed NPs and GPs by location, morphology and timeline. Nowadays, there are 106 partly or mostly karstic NPs in Europe, that means 23% of all NPs. Many of the karst terrains became protected before the terms of geotourism and geopark came into being. 49% of all GPs contain karst terrains, which means that karsts are key issues in the study of geoheritage and geotourism. Tourism into karstic NPs and GPs can be considered sensu lato geotourism, since tourists travelling to these locations generally visit caves, gorges, travertine lakes and other karst features. Adventure tourism is also significant in karstic NPs and GPs. The most popular NPs host several millions of visitors a year, that implies economic benefits, but also poses environmental problems, thus certain parks already reached their carrying capacity, while other parks plan to increase their visitor numbers.

Supraglacial streams are a significant part of the glacial hydrological system and important for understanding glacial hydrology and dynamics. Here we infer factors that influence the long-term development of perennial supraglacial streams, particularly in reference to canyon, incised and surface stream formation. Orthophotos and digital elevation models generated from high-resolution aerial imagery taken with unmanned aerial vehicles or piloted helicopters between 2010 and 2017 were used to compare seven streams on Fountain Glacier, Bylot Island, Canada over time. Results show canyon formation occurs from a combination of fluvial processes and the impact of solar radiation. The greater the discharge or slope, the faster the incision and higher the sinuosity. With greater sinuosity, the distance between the top of the valley banks increases, and cutoffs cause trapezoidal canyon-like valleys to form. Solar radiation causes the backward migration of the valley walls, further enhancing canyon area. Canyons are less likely to occur in areas of low discharge and slope. Less incised channels are also more likely to have water flow jumping the channel banks, changing the channel path. The presence of medial moraines and crevasses also increases rerouting of small streams. Lastly, windblown created snow-plugs may lead to stream diversion.

RESUMO As Bignoniaceae reúnem 82 gêneros e cerca de 860 espécies, distribuídas principalmente pela região neotropical, sendo que o Brasil possui a ocorrência de cerca de 33 gêneros e 416 espécies. Uma vez que o Parque Estadual do Guartelá representa um importante remanescente dos Campos Gerais e que há poucos estudos sobre as Bignoniaceae na região sul do país, este trabalho objetivou contribuir para a caracterização de sua flora através da monografia para as Bignoniaceae ocorrentes na área. As coletas foram feitas ao longo de trilhas e estradas, bem como em incursões nos campos e florestas durante 12 meses. Adenocalymma, Amphilophium, Anemopaegma, Bignonia, Dolichandra, Fridericia, Handroanthus, Jacaranda, Mansoa, Pyrostegia, Tabebuia e Tynanthus foram os gêneros registrados, os quais totalizaram 18 espécies.

This study assesses the impacts of urban configurations on thermal perceptions in Flat Bandar Tasik Selatan (FBTS) and Surya Magna (SM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It aims to understand the impacts of urban configurations on thermal perceptions in outdoor spaces. The study addresses the following research questions: (1) Do urban configurations influence outdoor comfort? (2) Do urban configurations also have significant impacts on thermal perceptions? We mapped out the sites to understand their configurations. The research considered on-site measurements of the environmental conditions and carried out modelling and simulations (ENVI-met V3.1) of the sites. Mathematical models (Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), and Standard Effective Temperature (SET)) were used to determine the thermal indices and the impact of the urban configurations on outdoor comfort. The thermal indices varied from 25.44 to 34.75 °C. In terms of the main contribution of this work, the results show that in hot and humid climate regions, urban configurations plus other design variables (e.g., orientation towards the Sun’s path) and environmental parameters influence occupants’ comfort and perceptions. Our findings show that high solar radiation and the need for a better thermal environment in hot and humid climates are the contributing factors for developing alternative urban configurations.

Copyright of Black Sea / Karadeniz is the property of Black Sea / Karadeniz and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Salaj county has a rich and diversified tourism potential induced both by natural and human resources. Natural potential consists in the presence of natural resources of the following types: morphological (the mountainous relief, spectacular valleys with sectors of gorges or gullets, karst relief, residual microforms or those created by the action of the external agents), climatic, hydrological (the presence of mineral waters mainly sulfurous and thermal which have been known and used since the previous century, the spectacular landscapes created by some peculiarities of the river valley and also to the presence of a few lakes), bio-geographical (vast areas with forest, which give the appellation of Sylvania Country). In Salaj there are also a few natural reservations and over 350 archeological (the Roman castra Porolissum, and also many other vestiges of Roman, Dacian or even prehistorical origin) and architectural sites with a great architectural and historical value, original gastronomical and folk traditions, cultural and artistic events known both locally and nationally. Distinctive for Salaj county is the presence of over 70 wooden churches, architectural monuments of great artistic and historical value.

Salaj county has a rich and diversified tourism potential induced by the water resources. This is related to the presence of mineral waters mainly sulfurous and thermal, which have been known and used since the previous century, the spectacular landscapes created by some peculiarities of the river valley and also to the presence of a few lakes. The tourism potential is not fully capitalized even though there are some spas where the healing properties of the mineral waters are used, while others have been turned into ruins and destroyed. The tourism potential of running waters is given by the presence of some spectacular valley sectors (gorges, canyons). Lakes attract the tourists especially for their fishing resources.

A regional neural network-based method, “CANYON-MED” is developed to estimate nutrients and carbonate system variables specifically in the Mediterranean Sea over the water column from pressure, temperature, salinity, and oxygen together with geolocation and date of sampling. Six neural network ensembles were developed, one for each variable (i.e., three macronutrients: nitrates (NO3-), phosphates (PO43-) and silicates (SiOH4), and three carbonate system variables: pH on the total scale (pHT), total alkalinity (AT), and dissolved inorganic carbon or total carbon (CT), trained using a specific quality-controlled dataset of reference “bottle” data in the Mediterranean Sea. This dataset is representative of the peculiar conditions of this semi-enclosed sea, as opposed to the global ocean. For each variable, the neural networks were trained on 80% of the data chosen randomly and validated using the remaining 20%. CANYON-MED retrieved the variables with good accuracies (Root Mean Squared Error): 0.73 μmol.kg–1 for NO3-, 0.045 μmol.kg–1 for PO43- and 0.70 μmol.kg–1 for Si(OH)4, 0.016 units for pHT, 11 μmol.kg–1 for AT and 10 μmol.kg–1 for CT. A second validation on the ANTARES independent time series confirmed the method’s applicability in the Mediterranean Sea. After comparison to other existing methods to estimate nutrients and carbonate system variables, CANYON-MED stood out as the most robust, using the aforementioned inputs. The application of CANYON-MED on the Mediterranean Sea data from autonomous observing systems (integrated network of Biogeochemical-Argo floats, Eulerian moorings and ocean gliders measuring hydrological properties together with oxygen concentration) could have a wide range of applications. These include data quality control or filling gaps in time series, as well as biogeochemical data assimilation and/or the initialization and validation of regional biogeochemical models still lacking crucial reference data. Matlab and R code are available at https:// github.com/MarineFou/CANYON-MED/.

The measurement data on the Kamchatka Canyon, including the block diagram, a set of echograms, the longitudinal profile of the canyon, and the bathymetric map, and the continuous seismoacoustic profiling data (CSP) has been reinterpreted. The study covers the shelf and the upper and middle parts of the continental slope. Regional gas-saturated strata have been discovered in the Cenozoic cover of the shelf and the continental slope, as well as in the block landslides of the sedimentary cover on the left (~55 km long, the western slope of the Kamchatka Cape) and right (more than 25 km long, the Kamchatka river delta front) sides of the canyon. Hanging landslides on the left side are associated with a 100–150 m increase in the depth of the canyon. On the middle slope, there is a large (28 km long) block landslide and its almost compensated paleochannel. The sub-latitudinal turn and the displacement of the canyon mouth to the north by 70 km is related to uplifting of the ridge-barrier in the Middle Pleistocene – Holocene. Based on the measurement and CSP data, it becomes possible to contour landslides on the sides of the Kamchatka Canyon, select the most hazardous locations (hanging landslides on the upper slope) for numerical modeling of potential landslide-related tsunami, and develop recommendations pertaining to construction of a new international sea port in the town of Ust-Kamchatsk.

Incising rivers may be confined by low-slope, erodible hillslopes or steep, resistant sidewalls. In the latter case, the system forms a canyon. We present a morphodynamic model that includes the essential elements of a canyon incising into a plateau, including 1) abrasion-driven channel incision, 2) migration of a canyon-head knickpoint, 3) sediment feed from an alluvial channel upstream of the knickpoint, and 4) production of sediment by sidewall collapse. We calculate incision in terms of collision of clasts with the bed. We calculate knickpoint migration using a moving-boundary formulation that allows a slope discontinuity where the channel head meets an alluvial plateau feeder channel. Rather than modeling sidewall collapse events, we model long-term behavior using a constant sidewall slope as the channel incises. Our morphodynamic model specifically applies to canyon, rather than river- hillslope evolution. We implement it for Rainbow Canyon, CA. Salient results are as follows: 1) Sediment supply from collapsing canyon sidewalls can be substantially larger than that supplied from the feeder channel on the plateau. 2) For any given quasiequilibrium canyon bedrock slope, two conjugate slopes are possible for the alluvial channel upstream, with the lower of the two corresponding to a substantially lower knickpoint migration rate and higher preservation potential. 3) Knickpoint migration occurs at a substantially faster time scale than regrading of the bedrock channel itself, underlying the significance of disequilibrium processes. Although implemented for constant climactic conditions, the model warrants extension to long-term climate variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a detailed analysis of the underwater morphology of the entire Black Sea basin beyond the shelf break. The focus is on submarine valley systems on continental slope and rise zones, and partially in the abyssal plain area. The present research is among the very few studies that have undertaken a morphological analysis on a regional scale, for an entire marine basin. This achievement was possible by using the publicly available EMODnet bathymetric map of the Black Sea. The Black Sea submarine valleys networks are presented in a map-sketch. It includes 25 valley systems, 5 groups of simple first order channels, and other number of simple, not associated channels. The 25 valley systems are adding up more than 110 main channels and tributaries. Morphological description and analysis of each of the mapped systems is given – shape and plan view morphology, dimensions (length and surface) and slope gradient. Some considerations about the amount of sediments supplied by the valleys from the shelf to the basin floor, forming the deep-sea fans, are presented. For a more detailed and precise image of the Black Sea network of submarine valleys additional work would be necessary to cover the entire basin with a minimum standard network of modern bathymetric mapping and of high resolution seismic survey lines. To take into account the composition and geological structure of different sectors, as factors that influence significantly the morphology of the seabed, would be also particularly useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]