Evaluation of estimation methods for meiofaunal biomass from a meiofaunal survey in Bohai Bay

Studies in the coastal area of Bohai Bay, China, from July 2006 to October 2007, suggest that the method of meiofaunal biomass estimation affected the meiofaunal analysis. Conventional estimation methods that use a unique mean individual weight value for nematodes to calculate total biomass may cause deviation of the results. A modified estimation method, named the Subsection Count Method (SCM), was also used to calculate meiofaunal biomass. This entails only a slight increase in workload but generates results of greater accuracy. Results gained using each of these two methods were compared in the present study. The results show that the conventional method generally estimates a meiofaunal biomass. The difference between the two estimation methods was highly significant (P<0.01) for the spring and winter cruises. Furthermore, the estimation method for meiofaunal biomass affected the analysis of horizontal distribution and correlation with environmental factors. These findings highlight the importance of estimation methods for meiofaunal biomass and will hopefully stimulate further investigation and discussion of the topic.     

Multifractal characteristics of the jet turbulent intensity depending on the outfall nozzle geometry

The multifractal measure enables an examination of the characteristics of a quantity distributed over a domain. This study examined the multifractal properties of turbulent intensities obtained from jet discharge experiments, where three types of nozzle geometries were examined in terms of the velocity fields and turbulent characteristics using particle image velocimetry. Depending on the nozzle geometry, the experimental results showed that the distribution of turbulent intensities and resulting dilution exhibited different behaviors. The experiment also showed that the transversal velocity profiles are similar to each other regardless of the outfall nozzle shapes and demonstrates the traditional similarity assumption at the same time. The multifractal exponents of the turbulent intensities were obtained with Box Count Method in a two-dimensional space. The results showed that the turbulent intensities obtained in two-dimensional space have a common multifractal spectrum, which was not the case for the velocity or shear stress observed in the same space. Although the transversal velocity profiles are similar, the multifractal exponent clearly shows a difference depending on the outfall geometries. In particular, the minimum value of the Lipschitz–Hölder exponent (α _min) and the entropy dimension (α ₁) tends to increase as turbulent intensity and dilution increase. These results suggest that the multifractal properties can be utilized potentially to categorize and evaluate the discharge outfall capabilities in terms of the resulting dilution.     

Scaling of soil carbon,nitrogen, phosphorus and C:N:P ratio patterns in peatlands of China

Inspired by the importance of Redfield-type C:N:P ratios in global soils,we looked for analogous patterns in peatlands and aimed at deciphering the potential affecting factors.By analyzing a suite of peatlands soil data(n = 1031),mean soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorous(TP) contents were 50.51%,1.45% and 0.13%,respectively,while average C:N,C:P and N:P ratios were 26.72,1186.00 and 46.58,respectively.C:N ratios showed smaller variations across different vegetation coverage and had less spatial heterogeneity than C:P and N:P ratios.No consistent C:N:P ratio,though with a general value of 1245:47:1,was found for entire peatland soils in China.The Northeast China,Tibet,Zoigê Plateau and parts of Xinjiang had high soil SOC,TN,TP,and C:P ratio.Qinghai,parts of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,and the coast zones have low TP and N:P ratio.Significant differences for SOC,TN,TP,C:N,C:P and N:P ratios were observed across groups categorized by predominant vegetation.Moisture,temperature and precipitation all closely related to SOC,TN,TP and their pairwise ratios.The hydrothermal coefficient(RH),defined as annual average precipitation divided by temperature,positively and significantly related to C:N,C:P and N:P ratios,implying that ongoing climate change may prejudice peatlands as carbon sinks during the past 50 years in China.     

南川黄泥垭隧道工程对水文地质条件的影响分析

隧道工程建设无疑对岩溶地区的水文地质环境地质带来巨大冲击。文章以重庆市南川区黄泥垭隧道工程为实例,采用地面调查、示踪试验、长观监测等方法进行综合研究,剖析隧道工程对隧址区水文地质环境的影响。研究结果表明:黄泥垭隧道工程改变了隧址区的地下水流场,疏干地表地下水、加剧干旱缺水程度,并随之出现新的人工水点——隧道涌水;同时隧道工程影响了水资源空间分配格局、降低了水资源利用率。      

Distribution,Compositions and Significance of Oceanic Red Beds

Oceanic red beds are widely distributed in the global oceans and across the entire Phanerozoic period, which mostly appeared after oceanic anoxic events. They represent typical oxygen-rich sedimentary environment and play a significant role on ocean science research. Numerous studies have been carried out since the oceanic red beds were discovered. However, previous studies mainly focused on the Cretaceous oceanic red beds, and the understanding of the characteristics and scientific significance of oceanic red beds are not comprehensive. Therefore, we here summarized the global distribution characteristics and compared mineral and element compositions of various lithological oceanic red beds, including marly, clayey and cherty oceanic red beds. The main mineral and element components of oceanic red beds have no direct relationship with the color of the sediments, and mainly are affected by the regional environment and provenances. Therefore, the mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of oceanic red beds should be analyzed in combination with the regional background. The red coloration of oceanic red beds is controlled mainly by hematite, goethite and manganese-bearing calcite, which have two main mechanisms: ① Colored minerals formed in oxic conditions; ② Colored minerals formed due to low deposition rates. These two mechanisms are not completely independent, but complement one another with either dominance in most oceanic red beds. Lithological characteristics of oceanic red beds are controlled by three factors, including water depth, productivity and nutrients. Therefore, the formation of oceanic red beds should be considered with global changes and regional events. The unique origin mechanism and global distribution characteristics of long time-scale oceanic red beds can be used to indicate sedimentary paleoenvironment, paleo-oceanic current, and paleoclimate change. In addition, hydrothermal or magmatic activities on the ocean floor could also produce red-color deposits that are strongly different from sedimentary oceanic red beds. Based on the existing research, we also put forward the future in-depth studies on the oceanic red beds from multidisciplinary perspectives.     

Formation Mechanism of "Drag Depressions" and Irregular Boundaries in Intraplate Deformation

Almost all intraplate caprocks experienced strong deformation during the convergence of microplates, and then disintegrated into many secondary geologic units with the special characters, such as irregular boundaries and particular structural assemblages. In order to understand the formation mechanism of these special phenomena, a rheological experiment on the structural scenery of the Tongling area is carried out. The result shows that the primary regular and uniform boundaries of the Tongling area becomes irregular because of the enclosing and confinement of surrounding geological units in the process of "compression-shearing-rotation-drag"; simultaneously, two specific "drag depressions" developed at two opposite corners of the block. The former and the later phenomena can be regarded as a typical regional-scale rheological effect and necessary outcome of intraplate deformation respectively.     

三江地区义敦岛弧碰撞造山过程：花岗岩记录

义敦岛弧碰撞造山带是特提斯－喜马拉雅巨型造山带中的一个复合造山带。本文利用义敦岛弧碰撞造山带29个花岗岩体的43件同位素测年数据，结合岩石地球化学特征，建立了造山带花岗岩的时间坐标。初步识别出4套不同成因类型的花岗岩，即印支期弧花岗岩、燕山早期同碰撞花岗岩、燕山晚期A型花岗岩和喜马拉雅期花岗岩。据此，再造了造山带的形成过程与演化历史：印支期的大规模俯冲造山作用（238－210Ma)，形成义敦火山岩浆弧；大约自206Ma始，发生弧－陆碰撞，伴随岛弧地壳挤压收缩和剪切变形，发育同碰撞花岗岩；进入燕山晚期（138－73Ma)，岛弧碰撞造山带发生造山后伸展作用，形成A型花岗岩带；喜马拉雅期发生陆内造山作用（65－15Ma)，岛弧碰撞造山带出现逆冲－推覆和大规模走滑平移，伴随喜马拉雅期花岗岩的侵位和拉分盆地的形成。     

Trace element composition of magnetite from the Xinqiao Fe–S(–Cu–Au) deposit,Tongling, Eastern China: constraints on fluid evolution and ore genesis

The Xinqiao deposit is one of several polymetallic deposits in the Tongling ore district. There are two types of mineralization in the Xinqiao: skarn-type and stratiform-type. The skarn-type mineralization is characterized by iron oxides such as magnetite and hematite, whereas stratiform-type mineralization is characterized by massive sulfides with small amounts of magnetite and hematite. We defined three types of ores within the stratiform-type mineralization by the mineral assemblages and ore structures. Type I ore is represented by magnetite crosscut by minor calcite veins. Type II is a network ore composed of magnetite and crosscutting pyrite. Type III is a massive ore containing calcite and hematite. Type I magnetite is characterized by highly variable trace element content, whereas Type II magnetite has consistently higher Si, Ti, V, and Nb. Type III magnetite contains more In, Sn, and As than the other two types. Fluid–rock interaction, oxygen fugacity (fO₂), and temperature (T) are the main factors controlling element variation between the different magnetite types. Type I magnetite was formed by more extensive fluid–rock interaction than the other two types at moderate fO₂ and T conditions. Type II magnetite is thought to have formed in relatively low fO₂ and high-T environments, and Type III in relatively high fO₂ and moderate-T environments. Ca?+?Al?+?Mn and Ti?+?V discrimination diagrams show that magnetite in the Xinqiao deposit is hydrothermal in origin and is possibly linked with skarn.     

Geological and hydrogeological environment in Tianjin with potential geohazards and groundwater control during excavation

This paper discusses the geological and hydrogeological features of Quaternary deposits in Tianjin as well as the geohazards related to groundwater hydrology in this region. The soft soil deposits, comprising silt, sand, silty clay and clay, are composed of four aquifer groups. In the first aquifer group, one phreatic aquifer and two confined aquifers have relationships with underground construction in the urban area. These three aquifers are separated by two aquitards and collectively form a multi-aquifer system. During geotechnical construction, potential geohazards present are related to the groundwater, which include water-in-rushing, quicksand and piping hazards. To prevent the aforementioned geohazards, dewatering is conducted; however, groundwater pumping may result in large settlements of the surrounding ground. To reduce pumping-induced settlement, the dewatering–waterproofing system has been adopted. According to the characteristics of the subsoil, excavation depth and the surrounding environment, the dewatering system can be divided into five patterns. In the first four patterns, when pumping is conducted in the excavation pit, the groundwater head in the adjacent aquifers outside the pit decreases due to the leakage effect of the aquitards located between the aquifers. In the fifth pattern, waterproof curtain has cut off the aquifers completely and dewatering in the pit cannot result in settlement around excavation pit. To avoid geohazards related to groundwater hydrology, countermeasures recommended include construction of an effective waterproof curtain, selection of a reasonable excavation dewatering pattern and withdrawal of required groundwater.     

Calculation of groundwater head distribution with a close barrier during excavation dewatering in confined aquifer

When pumping is conducted in confined aquifer inside excavation pit(waterproof curtain),the direction of the groundwater seepage outside the excavation changes from horizontal to vertical owing to the existence of the curtain barrier.There is no analytical calculation method for the groundwater head distribution induced by dewatering inside excavation.This paper first analyses the mechanism of the blocking effects from a close barrier in confined aquifer.Then,a simple equation based on analytical solution is proposed to calculate groundwater heads inside and outside of the excavation pit with waterproof curtain(hereafter refer to close barrier)in a confined aquifer.The distribution of groundwater head is derived according to two conditions:(i)pumping with a constant water head,and(ii)pumping with a constant flow rate.The proposed calculation equation is verified by both numerical simulation and experimental results.The comparisons demonstrate that the proposed model can be applied in engineering practice of excavation.