Tectonic geomorphology assessment of the Ken River catchment near Panna, Madhya Pradesh, India

This thesis focuses on tectonic geomorphology and the response of the Ken River catchment to postulated tectonic forcing along a NE-striking monocline fold in the Panna region, Madhya Pradesh, India. Peninsular India is underlain by three northeast-trending paleotopographic ridges of Precambrian Indian basement, bounded by crustal-scale faults. Of particular interest is the Pokhara lineament, a crustal scale fault that defines the eastern edge of the Faizabad ridge, a paleotopographic high cored by the Archean Bundelkhand craton. The Pokhara lineament coincides with the monocline structure developed in the Proterozoic Vindhyan Supergroup rocks along the Bundelkhand cratonic margin. A peculiar, deeply incised meander-like feature, preserved along the Ken River where it flows through the monocline, may be intimately related to the tectonic regime of this system. This thesis examines 41 longitudinal stream profiles across the length of the monocline structure to identify any tectonic signals generated from recent surface uplift above the Pokhara lineament. It also investigates the evolution of the Ken River catchment in response to the generation of the monocline fold. Digital Elevation Models (DEM) from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) were used to delineate a series of tributary watersheds and extract individual stream profiles which were imported into MATLAB for analysis. Regression limits were chosen to define distinct channel segments, and knickpoints were defined at breaks between channel segments where there was a discrete change in the steepness of the channel profile. The longitudinal channel profiles exhibit the characteristics of a fluvial system in transient state. There is a significant downstream increase in normalized steepness index in the channel profiles, as well as a general increase in concavity downstream, with some channels exhibiting convex, over-steepened segments. Normalized steepness indices and uppermost knickpoint elevations are on average much higher in streams along the southwest segment of the monocline compared to streams along the northeast segment. Most channel profiles have two to three knickpoints, predominantly exhibiting slope-break morphology. These data have important implications for recent surface uplift above the Pokhara lineament. Furthermore, geomorphic features preserved along the Ken River suggest that it is an antecedent river. The incised meander-like feature appears to be the abandoned river valley of a former Ken River course that was captured during the evolution of the landscape by what is the present day Ken River.

Gravity collapse structures in the Central Precordillera fold-andthrust belt, Argentina

Several landforms found in the fold-and-thrust belt area of Central Precordillera, Pre-Andes of Argentina, which were often associated with tectonic efforts, are in fact related to non-tectonic processes or gravitational superficial structures. These second-order structures, interpreted as gravitational collapse structures, have developed in the western flank of sierras de La Dehesa and Talacasto. These include rock-slides, rock falls, wrinkle folds, slip sheets and flaps, among others; which together constitute a monoclinal fold dipping between 30º and 60º to the west. Gravity collapse structures are parallel to the regional strike of the Sierra de la Dehesa and are placed in Ordovician limestones and dolomites. Their sloping towards the west, the presence of bed planes, fractures and joints; and the lithology (limestone interbedded with incompetent argillaceous banks) would have favored their occurrence. Movement of the detached structures has been controlled by lithology characteristics, as well as by bedding and joints. Detachment and initial transport of gravity collapse structures and rockslides in the western flank of the Sierra de la Dehesa were tightly controlled by three structural elements: 1) sliding surfaces developed on parallel bedded strata when dipping >30° in the slope direction; 2) Joint’s sets constitute lateral and transverse traction cracks which release extensional stresses and 3) Discontinuities fragmenting sliding surfaces.  Some other factors that could be characterized as local (lithology, structure and topography) and as regional (high seismic activity and possibly wetter conditions during the postglacial period) were determining in favoring the steady loss of the western mountain side in the easternmost foothills of Central Precordillera.

Carcass and meat quality characteristics of Arsi-Bale goats supplemented with different levels of air-dried Moringa stenopetala leaf

This study was conducted to assess the effect of air-dried Moringa stenopetala leaf (MSL) supplementation on carcass components and meat quality in Arsi-Bale goats. A total of 24 yearling goats with initial body weight of 13.6+/-0.25 kg were randomly divided into four treatments with six goats each. All goats received a basal diet of natural grass hay ad libitum and 340 g head^(−1) d^(−1) concentrate. The treatment diets contain a control diet without supplementation (T1) and diets supplemented with MSL at a rate of 120 g head^(−1) d^(−1) (T2), 170 g head^(−1) d^(−1) (T3) and 220 g head^(−1) d^(−1) (T4). The results indicated that the average slaughter weight of goats reared on T3 and T4 was 18.2 and 18.3 kg, respectively, being (P<0.05) higher than those of T1 (15.8 kg) and T2 (16.5 kg). Goats fed on T3 and T4 diets had higher (P<0.05) daily weight gain compared with those of T1 and T2. The hot carcass weight in goats reared on T3 and T4 diets was 6.40 and 7.30 kg, respectively, being (P<0.05) higher than those of T1 (4.81 kg) and T2 (5.06 kg). Goats reared on T4 had higher (P<0.05) dressing percentage than those reared in other treatment diets. The rib-eye area in goats reared on T2, T3 and T4 diets was higher (P<0.05) than those of T1. The protein content of the meat in goats reared on T3 and T4 was 24.0 and 26.4%, respectively being significantly higher than those of T1 (19.1%) and T2 (20.1%). In conclusion, the supplementation of MSL to natural grass hay improved the weight gain and carcass parts of Arsi-Bale goats indicating Moringa leaves as alternative protein supplements to poor quality forages.

Modellazione 3D e analisi dello stato tenso-deformativo di una calandra per la produzione di tubi di acciaio a saldatura elicoidale

Il lavoro di indagine che è stato sviluppato nella presente tesi è volto a valutare, attraverso metodi FEM, ossia tecniche numeriche computazionali, le sollecitazioni e le deformazioni che agiscono sul telaio di uno "Stampo", macchina che realizza l'operazione di calandratura della lamiera nella produzione di tubi di acciaio a saldatura elicoidale. In particolare l’analisi riportata in questo documento può ritenersi uno studio preliminare che ha lo scopo di creare un simulatore tenso-deformativo che permetta di realizzare un futuro lavoro di validazione del modello, quindi esso è stato realizzato nel modo più flessibile possibile, in modo che sia agevole, anche in un secondo tempo, introdurvi delle modifiche. Il Software utilizzato per la realizzazione dell'analisi FEM è Salomé-Meca accompagnato dal risolutore Code Aster. Oltre all'analisi sul Telaio dello Stampo si è effettuato uno studio preliminare, di validità generale, in cui si riportano in dettaglio le operazioni da effettuare per lo studio degli Assembly. In particolare è stato utilizzato il software Efficient per la creazione del file di comando.

Metodologia de utilização de dados de sensoriamento remoto em zonas costeiras sob influência da indústria petrolífera

Oil spills in marine environments represent immediate environmental impacts of large magnitude. For that reason the Environmental Sensitivity to Oil Maps constitute a major instrument for planning actions of containment and cleanup. For both the Environmental Sensitivity Maps always need to be updated, to have an appropriate scale and to represent accurately the coastal areas. In this context, this thesis presents a methodology for collecting and processing remote sensing data for the purpose of updating the territorial basis of thematic maps of Environmental Sensitivity to Oil. To ensure greater applicability of the methodology, sensors with complementary characteristics, which provide their data at a low financial cost, were selected and tested. To test the methodology, an area located on the northern coast of the Northeast of Brazil was chosen. The results showed that the products of ASTER data and image hybrid sensor PALSAR + CCD and HRC + CCD, have a great potential to be used as a source of cartographic information on projects that seek to update the Environmental Sensitivity Maps of Oil

Ottimizzazione mediante codici di calcolo open source di componenti per il settore aerospaziale

Lo scopo della presente tesi è sviluppare un ambiente per l'ottimizzazione strutturale di componenti per applicazione aerospaziale utilizzando codici open-source. In particolare, il codice Salome viene utilizzato per il disegno automatico delle strutture, il programma Code Aster permette di effettuare l'analisi agli elementi finiti del componente, mentre Octave viene utilizzato per svolgere l'ottimizzazione basata su un algoritmo euristico e per integrare fra di loro i differenti codici. Le tecniche di ottimizzazione dei componenti stanno rivestendo sempre più importanza visto che le moderne tecniche di Additive Manufacturing permettono di realizzare strutture molto complesse che un tempo non era conveniente (o possibile) realizzare con asportazione di materiale. Nella prima parte della tesi si descrivono gli strumenti software utilizzati e la loro integrazione al fine di parametrizzare la generazione di geometrie ed effettuare in modo automatico analisi strutturali. Successivamente si descrivono tre casi di studio in cui la metodologia è stata sperimentata: un primo caso di validazione in cui si è applicato il metodo alla definizione della geometria di minimo peso per una trave a sbalzo con carico concentrato, un secondo test di ottimizzazione di un longherone per aeromobile, un terzo caso applicativo legato alla ottimizzazione di un serbatoio per fluidi in pressione da utilizzare su un satellite.

Climate seasonality limits leaf carbon assimilation and wood productivity in tropical forests.

The seasonal climate drivers of the carbon cy- cle in tropical forests remain poorly known, although these forests account for more carbon assimilation and storage than any other terrestrial ecosystem. Based on a unique combina- tion of seasonal pan-tropical data sets from 89 experimental sites (68 include aboveground wood productivity measure- ments and 35 litter productivity measurements), their asso- ciated canopy photosynthetic capacity (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and climate, we ask how carbon assimilation and aboveground allocation are related to climate seasonal- ity in tropical forests and how they interact in the seasonal carbon cycle. We found that canopy photosynthetic capacity seasonality responds positively to precipitation when rain- fall is < 2000 mm yr-1 (water-limited forests) and to radia- tion otherwise (light-limited forests). On the other hand, in- dependent of climate limitations, wood productivity and lit- terfall are driven by seasonal variation in precipitation and evapotranspiration, respectively. Consequently, light-limited forests present an asynchronism between canopy photosyn- thetic capacity and wood productivity. First-order control by precipitation likely indicates a decrease in tropical forest pro- ductivity in a drier climate in water-limited forest, and in cur- rent light-limited forest with future rainfall < 2000 mm yr-1.