This study seeks to better understand the relationship between permafrost, elevation and vegetation cover, and to test the hypothesis that changes in mountain permafrost distribution and characteristics occur at vegetation type boundaries, as they do in latitudinal permafrost. Twelve electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys were completed at vegetation transitions on selected slopes near Whitehorse and Dawson, Yukon, in July 2015. Wenner arrays with 2 m spacing between electrodes were used to complete the 80-280 m long surveys. Organic layer thickness and vegetative species composition were recorded in a transect for each survey. Ground-truthing via frost probing, pit digging, and ground temperature data from past and present weather stations aided in the analysis of ERT profiles. Several different resistivity patterns are present along the profiles. These patterns indicate some presence of permafrost along most of the slopes sampled. Exceptions include south-facing slopes free of permafrost and a few slopes with inconclusive resistivity interpretations due to complex resistivity patterns and ground-truthing difficulties. Overall, the results indicate that changes in permafrost distribution and characteristics do not consistently occur at vegetation type boundaries. At the scale examined, treeline is not as important a demarcation point for changes in permafrost as initially thought. Changes in organic mat, surficial geology, and snow cover (via micro-topography) appear to be as important as vegetation variation. These local controls play a significant role on permafrost distribution across both altitudinal and latitudinal forest-tundra ecotones. However, the propensity of alpine environments for cold air drainage and surface lapse rate inversions can create differences between the permafrost trends across altitudinal and latitudinal ecotones.

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a commonly used geophysical method to investigate permafrost in the mountain environment, but few studies have employed this method in a permafrost affected peatland. For this thesis, 5 ERT profiles were measured over 17 palsas and peat-plateaus in a palsa peatland environment in Tavvavuoma, northern Sweden, where the primary aim was to investigate the depth to the base of permafrost under the mounds. These depths are also used to estimate the excess ice fraction (EIF), which is indicative of the proportion of segregation ice in the frozen core under the mounds. The internal structure of palsas and the spatial distribution of permafrost was also investigated from the inverted resistivity models. Permafrost thickness was found to range from 5 – 17 m, with the thickest permafrost in the west end of the study area. EIF values range between 0,04 to 0,58, with the lowest values in the same end as the deepest permafrost, where also low mound elevations are found. The deep permafrost combined with low mound elevations are suggested to be attributed to the presence of coarse grained (glaciofluvial) sediments where ice segregation formation is limited, thus small amounts of frost heave. Deep permafrost is possibly underlying at least two thermokarst depressions/fens in the area, which is suggested to obstruct their drainage. The height of the mounds was surprisingly found to decrease with permafrost thickness, a relationship that is likely to be an effect of the varied underlying sediment cover. This thesis demonstrates the applicability of ERT in peatland permafrost research, but also considers the limitations of the method. / Elektrisk resistivitetstomografi (ERT) är en geofysisk metod som har använts flitigt vid undersökningar av alpin permafrost, men få studier har hittills tillämpat denna teknik vid undersökningar av permafrost i myrmarker. Under detta examensarbete på masternivå mättes 5 ERT-profiler över 17 palsar samt torvplatåer i ett palsmyrkomplex med sporadisk permafrost i Tavvavuoma, norra Sverige, med det primära målet att undersöka permafrostens mäktighet under dessa. De beräknade permafrostdjupen används även för att uppskatta isöverskottsfraktionen (EIF), vilket ger en indikation på andelen segregationsis i den frusna kärnan under respektive pals/torvplatå. Palsarnas interna struktur och den rumsliga utbredningen av permafrost i myren diskuteras också kvalitativt utifrån resistivitetsmodellerna. Permafrostmäktigheten under palsar och torvplatåer bestämdes till mellan 5 – 17 meter, med den djupaste permafrosten i den västra delen av studieområdet. Isöverskottsfraktionen varierar mellan 0,04 – 0,58, med de lägsta värdena i samma del av studieområdet som den djupaste permafrosten fanns, här är även palshöjderna låga. Den djupa permafrosten i kombination med låga palshöjder föreslås tillskrivas förekomst av grovkorniga (glaciofluviala) sediment i denna del av studieområdet, där bildningen av segregationsis begränsas. I och med detta begränsas mängden frosthävning, med låga palshöjder som resultat. Djup permafrost kan finnas under minst två thermokarstsänkor i området, vilket kan hindra dränering av dessa. Ett oväntat resultat var att palshöjd minskar med ökat permafrostdjup bland de studerade objekten, vilket bäst kan förklaras med det varierade sedimentunderlaget, som ger mycket olika förutsättningar för segregationsisbildning. Denna masteruppsats visar på tillämpligheten av ERT i myrmarker med permafrost, men beaktar även metodens begränsningar för denna tillämpning.

En France, 25% des déchets ménagers collectés sont stockés en Installation de Stockage de Déchets Non Dangereux (ISDND). Pour réduire leur impact sur l'environnement, le concept d'ISDND gérée en mode « bioréacteur » a été étudié et évalué depuis plus de dix ans en Europe. Ce concept est basé sur la réinjection des lixiviats, qui consiste à collecter les lixiviats en fond de casier et à les réinjecter sous la couverture de surface. L'optimisation de la répartition du lixiviat nécessite d'estimer les volumes et débits de réinjection et de dimensionner les dispositifs. Afin d'optimiser le dimensionnement des dispositifs de réinjection et d'améliorer la compréhension des écoulements de lixiviat dans les déchets, une voie possible est la modélisation hydrodynamique. Un modèle hydrodynamique regroupe une représentation conceptuelle du milieu poreux et un modèle mathématique permettant de décrire les écoulements. Pour simuler une infiltration, il est nécessaire de renseigner les paramètres hydrodynamiques intervenant dans les équations mathématiques du modèle. Des informations complémentaires sur le milieu sont donc requises pour contraindre les modèles hydrodynamiques et évaluer ces paramètres. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à la méthode géophysique de la tomographie de résistivité électrique (ERT) afin de contraindre les modèles hydrodynamiques à l'échelle d'un casier de déchets. En effet, de nombreuses études ont montré l'intérêt de cette méthode de mesure pour le suivi de la réinjection de lixiviat dans les massifs de déchets. Cependant, cette méthode ne permet pas de mesurer directement la teneur en eau et d'évaluer les paramètres hydrodynamiques. Dans la littérature, plusieurs auteurs ont proposé des méthodes de contrainte des modèles hydrodynamiques à partir des données ERT, basées sur la loi pétrophysique d'Archie. Afin de s'affranchir de l'utilisation de cette loi, peu adaptée aux milieux hétérogènes comme les déchets, il nous a semblé intéressant d'utiliser la forme de l'infiltration extraite de l'ERT pour contraindre les modèles hydrodynamiques.Ainsi, la problématique de cette thèse est d'améliorer la compréhension des écoulements de lixiviat en proposant une méthode de contrainte des modèles hydrodynamiques à partir de la forme de l'infiltration extraite des données ERT.Pour répondre à cet objectif, le travail de thèse a été divisé en trois étapes successives correspondant à chaque partie du manuscrit. La première partie a été consacrée à une synthèse bibliographique concernant la méthode ERT et la modélisation hydrodynamique. La seconde partie avait pour objectif de proposer une méthodologie permettant de délimiter l'infiltration de lixiviat sur les données ERT. La troisième partie a permis de développer une méthode de contrainte des modèles hydrodynamiques à partir de la délimitation de l'infiltration obtenue d'après les données ERT. / In France, approximately 25% of the total amount of collected household waste is stored in municipal solid waste landfills (MSWL). To reduce their impact on the environment, the bioreactor concept was studied and tested for more than a decade in Europe. This concept is based on leachate reinjection, which consists in collecting leachate at the bottom of the waste deposit cell and reinjecting it underneath the landfill cover. The optimization of leachate distribution requires tools to design leachate injection systems (LIS) and to assess volumes and flow rates for the reinjection. To design LIS and to improve the understanding of leachate flow in the waste medium, a subsurface flow modelling procedure may be considered. Hydrodynamic models are based on a conceptual approach to represent the porous medium and a mathematical model to describe flow. To simulate an infiltration into a porous medium, the assessment of the hydrodynamic parameters included in the mathematical equations of the model is required. Thus, additional information is needed to constrain hydrodynamic models and to assess hydrodynamic parameters.This thesis focused on the use of the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method to constrain hydrodynamic models at the landfill scale. Indeed, many studies have shown that this geophysical method is suitable to study leachate reinjection into the waste landfills. However, this geophysical method does not allow ERT users to directly measure water content and to assess hydrodynamic parameters. In the literature, several authors proposed constraint methods of hydrodynamic models from ERT measurements, based on the use of Archie's law. To avoid the use of this relationship, which seems to be inappropriate for heterogeneous media such as waste, we found relevant to use the infiltration shape obtained on the ERT results to constrain hydrodynamic models.Thus, the aim of this thesis is to improve the understanding of leachate flow by proposing a constraint method of hydrodynamic models using the infiltration shape extracted from ERT measurements.This thesis was divided into three successive steps corresponding to each part of the manuscript. The first part corresponds to a bibliographic study concerning the ERT method and hydrodynamic modelling. The second part aimed at proposing an interpretation methodology to delimitate an infiltration area from the ERT measurements. The third part allowed us to develop a constraint method of hydrodynamic models using the infiltration delimitation obtained from the ERT measurements with the methodology developed in the second part.

This research was originally conceived under the auspices of the UK Government's Foresight Initiative, which aimed to translate the significant body of process tomography knowledge, residing in various British universities, towards applications of generic benefit to industry. In collaboration with the sponsoring life science company, Zeneca Ltd, a number of potential demonstrator projects were identified. Ultimately on-line imaging within pressure filtration was selected by virtue of its direct and broad benefit to the chemical sector and the opportunity to extrapolate the techniques developed towards other batch production processes. The research programme is centred around three empirical studies. These progress from an initial phase, where the early laboratory instrumentation was exposed to a constrained set of filtration conditions, through to the installation of a novel prototype industrial tomography system on to an existing large scale production unit, which was fabricated from an electrically conducting alloy and located in a potentially flammable atmosphere. During the course of these investigations electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was identified as the most viable modality for this class of application. The challenges associated with transferring the EIT technology into the manufacturing environment were addressed by taking advantage of the lenient frame rates acceptable within chemical batch monitoring to develop an instrument structure which was intrinsically safe, suitable for use with earthed metal vessels, tolerant to chemically aggressive media and amenable to three-dimensional image reconstruction via irregular, process compliant, electrode architectures. In the subject production filter a planar sensor array was exploited to provide a relatively uniform electrical field distribution within the process material, whilst not adversely affecting the normal operation of the plant item.

Aim of Investigation: The neurological manifestations of Fabry’s disease, a rare, X-linked, multisystem disorder caused by alpha-galactosidase A deficiency and globotriosylceramide (Gb3) accumulation, include both peripheral and central nervous system symptoms. Here we evaluated a prospectively recruited cohort of patients with Fabry’s disease for pain, small nerve fiber function, and skin innervation. Methods: 66 patients (31 male and 35 female) were enrolled&#65292;31 patients were on ERT. All patients underwent quantitative sensory testing (QST), electrophysiological examination, and extra- and transcranial Doppler sonography. For pain and mood assessment standardized questionnaires were used. Skin biopsies were performed at the left distal leg in 38 patients for intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) assessment. Results: Age at examination did not differ significantly between women (40.2+/-16.2 years) and men (38.9+/-13.8; n.s.). 29/31 male and 19/35 female patients complained of acroparesthesias or neuropathic pain. QST abnormalities indicative of small fiber impairment were found in 26/31 male and 28/35 female patients. Electrophysiological examination of large fibers and autonomic fibers revealed pathological findings in 11/31 male and 3/35 female patients. All patients had normal Doppler sonography results. Indicators for depression were present in 14/31 male and 10/35 female patients. 20/31 male and 18/35 female patients had a skin biopsy, the IENFD was significantly reduced in male (2.0+/-2.8 fibers/mm) compared with female patients (6.7 +/- 4.4 fibers/mm). In 10 patients free from neurological symptoms, QST and IENFD abnormalities were still detected. Follow up examination after one year in 12 patients under ERT (2.1+/-1.7 years) showed improvement in some symptoms and in QST and neurophysiology in six patients with normal renal function. 20/35 female patients older than 40 y had concomitant diseases, while none of the 18 younger female patients did. The corresponding radio in male patients was 5/19 (>=40y) and 2/13 (<40y) respectively. Conclusions: Neuropathic pain and sensory deficits of the distal extremities are common in patients with Fabry’s disease. QST and IENFD analysis are important for early diagnosis of nerve involvement in Fabry’s disease. Small fiber function may improve under ERT in patients without severe renal impairment.

No description available.

Geophysical methods are non-invasive and allow an effective way of understanding subsurface structures and their physical properties. One of the main challenges is the often non-uniqueness of the geophysical models and that several different models can explain a dataset to an agreeable fit. Moreover, noise and limitations in resolution, which are inherent to field data, are additional obstacles for obtaining a true physical property model of the subsurface. Facing all these challenges, geophysicists have dedicated their efforts for decades to recover models that represent, as close as possible, the true subsurface. Joint inversion and integration of multiple geophysical data are two main approaches that I studied to better resolve subsurface structures. I further used these approaches, together with new software and hardware implementations for data acquisition and inversion, for near-surface applications.  In this thesis, radio-magnetotelluric (RMT), boat-towed RMT, boat-towed controlled source MT (CSMT), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and first-arrival traveltime tomography are jointly used for quick clay investigations and fracture zone delineation under shallow water-bodies. The joint approach, as compared with any individual method, shows a better ability to both resolve the geological targets and to assist in understanding the subsurface geology that hosts these targets. For examples: by performing the joint inversion of lake-floor ERT and boat-towed RMT data, a fracture zone is better delineated with greater details compared with single inversion; by employing boat-towed CSMT measurements and jointly inverting with boat-towed RMT data, the subsurface structures, especially at greater depth, are better resolved than by inverting each dataset alone. During my PhD studies, two types of new implementations were employed. (1) Boat-towed data acquisition system was implemented to expand the RMT and CSMT method from land to shallow-water applications. This is significant since many large-scale underground infrastructures are likely to cross these water zones (for example multi-lane train or bypass tunnels, such as the Stockholm bypass). (2) The modification of a well-structured code EMILIA allows joint inversion of boat-towed RMT and lake-floor ERT datasets, and the modification of another well-structured code MARE2DEM can accurately model high frequency CSMT data and handle joint inversion of boat-towed RMT and boat-towed CSMT datasets. Thus, the code modification as another type of new implementation guarantees the success of near-surface applications using the boat-towed RMT and CSMT data acquisition systems. Studies conducted during my PhD work, included under the SEG-GWB (the Society of Exploration Geophysicists - Geoscientists Without Borders) program and the TRUST (TRansparent Underground STructure) umbrella project, are useful for near-surface applications including, for examples, engineering purposes such as planning of underground infrastructures, site characterization in connection with energy or waste storage, and geohazard investigations.

Electrical methods of geophysical survey are known to produce results that are hard to predict at different times of the year, and under differing weather conditions. This is a problem which can lead to misinterpretation of archaeological features under investigation. The dynamic relationship between a ‘natural’ soil matrix and an archaeological feature is a complex one, which greatly affects the success of the feature’s detection when using active electrical methods of geophysical survey. This study has monitored the gradual variation of measured resistivity over a selection of study areas. By targeting difficult to find, and often ‘missing’ electrical anomalies of known archaeological features, this study has increased the understanding of both the detection and interpretation capabilities of such geophysical surveys. A 16 month time-lapse study over 4 archaeological features has taken place to investigate the aforementioned detection problem across different soils and environments. In addition to the commonly used Twin-Probe earth resistance survey, electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and quadrature electro-magnetic induction (EMI) were also utilised to explore the problem. Statistical analyses have provided a novel interpretation, which has yielded new insights into how the detection of archaeological features is influenced by the relationship between the target feature and the surrounding ‘natural’ soils. The study has highlighted both the complexity and previous misconceptions around the predictability of the electrical methods. The analysis has confirmed that each site provides an individual and nuanced situation, the variation clearly relating to the composition of the soils (particularly pore size) and the local weather history. The wide range of reasons behind survey success at each specific study site has been revealed. The outcomes have shown that a simplistic model of seasonality is not universally applicable to the electrical detection of archaeological features. This has led to the development of a method for quantifying survey success, enabling a deeper understanding of the unique way in which each site is affected by the interaction of local environmental and geological conditions.

The main cause of failure in embankment dams - which represent 75% of all dams in the world (ICOLD, 2018) - is the internal erosion produced by excessive seepage not accounted for in their designs. This erosion can cause that a small anomalous structure, not likely to be considered as risky, turns rapidly into a significant structural damage if not recognized on time. This creates a necessity for methods that can detect these anomalies in a non-intrusive, cost-effective and sensitive way. The purpose of this work is to analyse the strength of three geophysical methods (ERT and Seismic Refraction and Reflection) in detecting and accurately localizing anomalous structures inside an embankment dam. This study has been successfully approached in two different ways: by synthetic modelling and by an experimental field work at an embankment dam in northern Sweden. The results show that these methods are capable of detecting different structures in the interior of the dam in an accurate and rapid manner. / Den främsta orsaken till brister i jordfyllningsdammar, som utgör 75% av alla dammar i världen (ICOLD, 2018) och är föremål för detta arbete, är inre erosion som orsakas av extrem läckage som togs inte med i beräkningar i deras konstruktioner. Denna erosion kan resultera i att en liten anomal struktur, som sannolikt inte anses vara riskabel, snabbt blir en betydande strukturell skada om den inte är uppmärksammas i tid. Därför krävs metoder som kan upptäcka dessa anomalier på ett icke-påträngande, kostnadseffektivt och känsligt sätt. Syftet med detta arbete är att analysera möjligheterna med tre geofysiska metoder (ERT, Seismisk Refraktion och Seismisk Reflektion) för att upptäcka och exakt lokalisera anomala strukturer inuti en jordfyllningsdamm. Denna studie har utförts på två fronter: genom (i) syntetisk modellering och (ii) ett experimentellt fältarbete vid en damm i norra Sverige. Resultaten visar att dessa metoder kan detektera olika strukturer inuti dammen på ett pålitligt och snabbt sätt.

Media are created to disseminate information and foster dialogue to support democratic societies. As society evolved and liberalism and marketization gained ground, Public Service Broadcasting was established to produce and distribute content that benefits society without aiming for profit. The notion has faced several challenges with technology development, leading to a transition to Public Service Media being the current one, where media content is consumed through different online platforms. Public Service Broadcasters transition on different phases to Public Service Media based on the country they operate in and the sociopolitical conditions. This research explores the history and origins of PSB and the challenges they face, focusing on the Greek media landscape and the Greek PSB ERT, which since 2020 has been following an online media-focused strategy. By conducting a survey of Greek audience members, quantitative data are generated on the public perception of ERT, the media habits of the Greek audience, and their view on the new strategy of ERT and its streaming platform ERTFLIX. Results indicate that Greek PSB is a state broadcaster due to its lack of editorial autonomy, while the low viewership and survey responses show a lack of trust of the Greek audience in ERT. Participants are in favor of the new ERT strategy, and the majority have used ERTFLIX even once. On the other hand, the news programming of ERT is still not trusted by the audience, indicating that further actions need to be taken to change the state broadcaster identity of ERT. / Medierna skapas för att sprida information och främja dialog för att stödja demokratiska samhällen. I takt med att samhället utvecklades och liberalismen och marknadsföringen vann terräng inrättades public service-bolag för att producera och distribuera innehåll som gynnar samhället utan att sträva efter vinst. Begreppet har stått inför flera utmaningar i samband med den tekniska utvecklingen, vilket har lett till en övergång till Public Service Media, där medieinnehållet konsumeras via olika onlineplattformar. Public service-bolagen övergår i olika faser till public service-medier beroende på vilket land de är verksamma i och de sociopolitiska förhållandena. Denna forskning utforskar de offentliga radio- och tv-bolagens historia och ursprung och de utmaningar de står inför, med fokus på det grekiska medielandskapet och det grekiska offentliga radio- och tv-bolaget ERT, som sedan 2020 har följt en strategi inriktad på onlinemedier. Genom att genomföra en undersökning bland grekiska tittare genereras kvantitativa uppgifter om allmänhetens uppfattning om ERT, den grekiska publikens medievanor och deras syn på ERT:s nya strategi och dess streamingplattform ERTFLIX. Resultaten visar att den grekiska public service-bolaget är ett statligt radio- och tv-bolag på grund av bristen på redaktionell självständighet, medan det låga tittarantalet och enkätsvaren visar att den grekiska publiken saknar förtroende för ERT. Deltagarna är positiva till ERT:s nya strategi och majoriteten har använt ERTFLIX en enda gång. Å andra sidan har publiken fortfarande inget förtroende för ERT:s nyhetsprogram, vilket tyder på att ytterligare åtgärder måste vidtas för att ändra ERT:s identitet som statligt programföretag.