The K & uuml;& ccedil;& uuml;k & ccedil;ekmece-Avc & imath;lar corridor of the D100 highway constitutes a critical component of Istanbul's transportation infrastructure. Given its strategic importance, ensuring its operational continuity following the anticipated major Istanbul earthquake is imperative. The aim of this study was to investigate the liquefaction-induced geotechnical risks threatening the K & uuml;& ccedil;& uuml;k & ccedil;ekmece-Avc & imath;lar segment of the D100 highway. Initially, the study area's liquefaction susceptibility was assessed through Liquefaction Potential Index mapping. Subsequently, post-liquefaction ground displacements were quantified using semi-empirical methodologies and advanced numerical analyses focused on representative critical sections. Numerical simulations incorporated various constitutive models for liquefiable soils, enabling a comparative assessment against semi-empirical estimations. The results revealed that semi-empirical approaches systematically overestimated the lateral displacements relative to numerical predictions. Moreover, the analyses highlighted the sensitivity of model outcomes to the selection of constitutive parameters, underscoring the necessity for careful calibration in modeling liquefiable layers. Despite considering the most conservative displacement values from numerical analyses, findings indicated that the D100 highway is likely to experience substantial damage, potentially leading to extended service disruptions following the projected seismic event.

Rising soil salinity poses significant challenges to Mediterranean viticulture. While some rootstocks effectively reduce salt accumulation in grafted scions, the mechanisms and performance of novel rootstocks remain largely unexplored. This study compared two novel M-series rootstocks (M2, M4) with established commercial rootstocks (1103 Paulsen, R110) to evaluate their physiological responses and salt tolerance under irrigation with varying salinity levels (0, 25, 50, and 75 mM NaCl) over 5 months. Growth parameters, photosynthetic efficiency, chlorophyll content (SPAD), ion homeostasis, and visual symptoms were monitored. Results revealed genotype-specific strategies: 1103 Paulsen exhibited robust photosynthetic efficiency and ion exclusion, maintaining growth and chlorophyll stability; M2 demonstrated superior biomass retention and moderate ion compartmentalization but showed reduced photosynthetic performance at higher salinity levels; R110 displayed effective ion management at moderate salinity but experienced significant growth reduction under severe stress; and M4 was the most sensitive, with severe reductions in growth and ion homeostasis. Organ-specific responses highlighted roots acting as primary ion reservoirs, particularly for sodium and calcium; leaves exhibited high potassium and chloride concentrations, critical for photosynthesis but prone to ionic imbalance under stress; and stems and wood played a buffering role, compartmentalizing excess sodium and minimizing damage to photosynthetic tissues. The reported findings provide valuable insights for rootstock selection and breeding programs, particularly for regions facing increasing soil and water salinization challenges.

Pollutant emissions in China have significantly decreased over the past decade and are expected to continue declining in the future. Aerosols, as important pollutants and short-lived climate forcing agents, have significant but currently unclear climate impacts in East Asia as their concentrations decrease until mid-century. Here, we employ a well-developed regional climate model RegCM4 combined with future pollutant emission inventories, which are more representative of China to investigate changes in the concentrations and climate effects of major anthropogenic aerosols in East Asia under six different emission reduction scenarios (1.5 degrees C goals, Neutral-goals, 2 degrees C -goals, NDC-goals, Current-goals, and Baseline). By the 2060s, aerosol surface concentrations under these scenarios are projected to decrease by 89%, 87%, 84%, 73%, 65%, and 21%, respectively, compared with those in 2010-2020. Aerosol climate effect changes are associated with its loadings but not in a linear manner. The average effective radiative forcing at the surface in East Asia induced by aerosol-radiation-cloud interactions will diminish by 24% +/- 13% by the 2030s and 35% +/- 13% by the 2060s. These alternations caused by aerosol reductions lead to increases in near-surface temperatures and precipitations. Specifically, aerosol-induced temperature and precipitation responses in East Asia are estimated to change by -78% to -20% and -69% to 77%, respectively, under goals with different emission scenarios in the 2060s compared to 2010-2020. Therefore, the significant climate effects resulting from substantial reductions in anthropogenic aerosols need to be fully considered in the pathway toward carbon neutrality.

Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction poses significant risks to the stability of geotechnical structures worldwide. An understanding of the liquefaction triggering, and the post-failure large deformation behaviour is essential for designing resilient infrastructure. The present study develops a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) framework for earthquake-induced liquefaction hazard assessment of geotechnical structures. The coupled flowdeformation behaviour of soils subjected to cyclic loading is described using the PM4Sand model implemented in a three-phase, single-layer SPH framework. A staggered discretisation scheme based on the stress particle SPH approach is adopted to minimise numerical inaccuracies caused by zero-energy modes and tensile instability. Further, non-reflecting boundary conditions for seismic analysis of semi-infinite soil domains using the SPH method are proposed. The numerical framework is employed for the analysis of cyclic direct simple shear test, seismic analysis of a level ground site, and liquefaction-induced failure of the Lower San Fernando Dam. Satisfactory agreement for liquefaction triggering and post-failure behaviour demonstrates that the SPH framework can be utilised to assess the effect of seismic loading on field-scale geotechnical structures. The present study also serves as the basis for future advancements of the SPH method for applications related to earthquake geotechnical engineering.

Tunnels buried in liquefiable soils are prone to liquefaction-induced uplift damage during strong earthquakes. Studying the parameters that affect the liquefaction-induced uplift of tunnels is crucial for enhancing the seismic resilience of tunnels, minimizing potential damage, and ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure during strong earthquakes. This study investigates the effects of tunnel diameter (D), burial depth (H), and amplitude of input shaking at the base of the soil layer (amax) on the liquefaction-induced uplift of circular tunnels using numerical simulation. A comprehensive parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of the H/D ratio and the value of amax on the dynamic responses, such as uplifts and internal forces in the lining of the tunnel. Using the numerical results, an empirical function was proposed to estimate the liquefaction-induced uplift of circular tunnels buried in liquefiable, loose soils. Finally, the results predicted by the proposed function were compared with those of a shaking table test and a centrifuge experiment. It has been demonstrated that the burial depth of a tunnel has the greatest impact on its seismic performance. Under identical input motion, increasing the burial depth of a tunnel with a 5-m diameter from 5 to 10 m resulted in a 270% increase in uplift and increased the internal forces in the tunnel lining, noticeably.

Past earthquakes have revealed that damage to sheet -pile walls under saturated conditions is closely linked to excess pore water pressure buildup in the surrounding soil. Nonlinear effective stress analysis (ESA) is commonly employed to assess the seismic performance of sheet -pile walls in liquefiable soils, incorporating constitutive models for liquefaction simulation. However, ESA results are sensitive to uncertainties in input parameters, model calibration, and modeling techniques. Dynamic centrifuge tests conducted in the Liquefaction Experiments and Analysis Project (LEAP) offer valuable insights into important response mechanisms and validate ESA. Seven centrifuge tests on a cantilevered sheet -pile wall model showed that liquefaction did not occur in the backfill near the wall due to net seaward wall displacement but did occur farther away. In addition, the mechanism of wall displacement was mainly due to the shear deformation of the softened backfill, with the displacement magnitude depending on the relative density of soil, peak ground acceleration of base motion, and wall displacement during gravity loading. Nonlinear ESA was performed for three centrifuge tests using FLAC2D and the PM4Sand constitutive model for soil. Gravity analysis captured static wall displacement and initial stress distribution in the soil. Two calibrations of the PM4Sand model were pursued at the element level: C1 calibration for liquefaction strength and C2 calibration for liquefaction strength and the post -liquefaction shear strain accumulation rate. System -level simulations showed similar liquefaction behavior as observed in the tests for both calibrations. However, the C2 calibration provided closer predictions of wall displacements, while the C1 calibration (default for PM4Sand) resulted in larger and more conservative displacements. Overall, the PM4Sand model performed well with minimal calibration, making it suitable for nonlinear ESA of sheet -pile walls.

In the context of China's dual carbon goal, emissions of air pollutants are expected to significantly decrease in the future. Thus, the direct climate effects of black carbon (BC) aerosols in East Asia are investigated under this goal using an updated regional climate and chemistry model. The simulated annual average BC concentration over East Asia is approximately 1.29 mu g/m(3) in the last decade. Compared to those in 2010-2020, both the BC column burden and instantaneous direct radiative forcing in East Asia decrease by more than 55% and 80%, respectively, in the carbon peak year (2030s) and the carbon neutrality year (2060s). Conversely, the BC effective radiative forcing (ERF) and regional climate responses to BC exhibit substantial nonlinearity to emission reduction, possibly resulting from different adjustments of thermal-dynamic fields and clouds from BC-radiation interactions. The regional mean BC ERF at the tropopause over East Asia is approximately +1.11 W/m(2) in 2010-2020 while negative in the 2060s. BC-radiation interactions in the present-day impose a significant annual mean cooling of -0.2 to -0.5 K in central China but warming +0.3 K in the Tibetan Plateau. As China's BC emissions decline, surface temperature responses show a mixed picture compared to 2010-2020, with more cooling in eastern China and Tibet of -0.2 to -0.3 K in the 2030s, but more warming in central China of approximately +0.3 K by the 2060s. The Indian BC might play a more important role in East Asian climate with reduction of BC emissions in China.

An accurate understanding of the cyclic behavior of clays and plastic silts is important for system performance predictions during earthquake loading. This paper presents the results of a numerical investigation into the individual and combined influences of static shear stress and viscous strength gain on the cyclic resistance of clays and plastic silts. Using the viscoplastic constitutive model PM4SiltR implemented in the finite difference program FLAC 8.1, the cyclic behaviors of the plastic soils were simulated using single-element cyclic direct simple shear simulations. A parametric analysis was performed with different combinations of viscous strength gains and static shear stresses. The effects of static shear stress and viscous strength gain varied under monotonic and cyclic loading conditions. Numerical findings suggest empirical correlations developed using scant laboratory data may not accurately predict the reduction of cyclic strengths with increasing static shear stress. Furthermore, sizable magnitudes of monotonic viscous strength gains only produced a marginal increase in cyclic strengths. The findings from this study highlight the need for future experimental laboratory testing to validate the numerical findings, to improve the accuracy of performance predictions of geosystems constructed with clays and plastic silts during and following earthquake loading.

Featured Application The conclusions of this article can be used to predict the uplift of tunnels or underground structures induced by soil liquefaction considering vertical earthquake motion.Abstract The uplift of underground structures induced by soil liquefaction can damage underground structure systems. Numerical simulations have shown that uplift is positively correlated with the energy of horizontal input motion. However, the effects of vertical input motion on uplift have not been studied comprehensively in the past. Previous studies on the vertical motion concluded that the effects of vertical motion on uplift depend on the overall characteristics of earthquake motion. These motion characteristics have only been studied separately in previous studies. A comprehensive study to explore the interactions and overall effects of these characteristics on the uplift of underground structures is essential. In this study, the FLAC program with the PM4Sand model was used as a numerical tool to explore the effects of vertical input motion on the uplift of underground structures. The numerical model was calibrated using centrifuge test results, and 48 earthquake motions were selected as input motions to study the effects of the overall characteristics of earthquake motions on the uplift of underground structures. The simulation results show that the frequency content characteristics of horizontal and vertical motion are the major factors affecting the uplift magnitude and the responses of liquefiable soils. However, most simulation cases show that the inclusion of vertical motion causes a 10% difference in the tunnel uplift, compared to cases without vertical motion.

Liquefaction occurs in saturated sandy and silty soils due to transient and repetitive seismic loads. The result is a loss of soil strength caused by increased pore pressure. In this study, the response of buried pipes in the Iskenderun region during the earthquakes centered in the subprovinces of Pazarc & imath;k and Elbistan in Kahramanmara & scedil;, Turkey, on 6 February 2023, has been investigated utilizing numerical analyses using geological data from two different areas. The effects of shallow and deep rock layers, pipe diameter, burial depths, and boundary conditions have been evaluated. In the analyses, records from two stations located in Iskenderun during the Pazarc & imath;k, Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquake have been utilized, taking into account records from shallow rock (station no. 3116) and thick soil layers (station no. 3115), as determined from shear wave velocities. Modeling conducted using station 3116 records has revealed the effect of shallow rock layers on pipe displacement, indicating less damage in areas where the rock layer is close to the surface. The pipe uplift risk is higher when the bedrock is deep, and the overlying soil layer is liquefiable (station no. 3115). It has been determined that depth to bedrock significantly influences upward movement of the pipe. In the areas where the bedrock is deep, expanding the boundary conditions has helped reduce the effects of settlements outside the pipe, preventing the occurrence of pipe uplift. Increasing the pipe diameter has increased the amount of uplift. The analysis results are consistent with field observations.