The Pomici di Avellino eruption of Somma–Vesuvius (3.9 ka BP). Part II: sedimentology and physical volcanology of pyroclastic density current deposits

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) generated during the Plinian eruption of the Pomici di Avellino (PdA) of Somma–Vesuvius were investigated through field and laboratory studies, which allowed the detailed reconstruction of their eruptive and transportation dynamics and the calculation of key physical parameters of the currents. PDCs were generated during all the three phases that characterised the eruption, with eruptive dynamics driven by both magmatic and phreatomagmatic fragmentation. Flows generated during phases 1 and 2 (EU1 and EU3pf, magmatic fragmentation) have small dispersal areas and affected only part of the volcano slopes. Lithofacies analysis demonstrates that the flow-boundary zones were dominated by granular-flow regimes, which sometimes show transitions to traction regimes. PDCs generated during eruptive phase 3 (EU5, phreatomagmatic fragmentation) were the most voluminous and widespread in the whole of Somma–Vesuvius’ eruptive history, and affected a wide area around the volcano with deposit thicknesses of a few centimetres up to more than 25 km from source. Lithofacies analysis shows that the flow-boundary zones of EU5 PDCs were dominated by granular flows and traction regimes. Deposits of EU5 PDC show strong lithofacies variation northwards, from proximally thick, massive to stratified beds towards dominantly alternating beds of coarse and fine ash in distal reaches. The EU5 lithofacies also show strong lateral variability in proximal areas, passing from the western and northern to the eastern and southern volcano slopes, where the deposits are stacked beds of massive, accretionary lapilli-bearing fine ash. The sedimentological model developed for the PDCs of the PdA eruption explains these strong lithofacies variations in the light of the volcano’s morphology at the time of the eruption. In particular, the EU5 PDCs survived to pass over the break in slope between the volcano sides and the surrounding volcaniclastic apron–alluvial plain, with development of new flows from the previously suspended load. Pulses were developed within individual currents, leading to stepwise deposition on both the volcano slopes and the surrounding volcaniclastic apron and alluvial plain. Physical parameters including velocity, density and concentration profile with height were calculated for a flow of the phreatomagmatic phase of the eruption by applying a sedimentological method, and the values of the dynamic pressure were derived. Some hazard considerations are summarised on the assumption that, although not very probable, similar PDCs could develop during future eruptions of Somma–Vesuvius.     

Biochemical and microbial features of shallow marine sediments along the Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea,Antarctica)

Shallow marine sediments were collected from seven stations (three of which located at Gerlache Inlet, two at Tethys Bay, one at Adelie Cove and one just beneath the Italian Research Base) along the Terra Nova Bay coast (Ross Sea, Antarctica). Their chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties were studied in order to provide further insights in the knowledge of this Antarctic benthic ecosystem. Overall, the organic carbon (OC) represented the major fraction of total carbon (TC) and displayed concentrations similar to or slightly lower than those previously measured in Antarctic bottom sediments. The biopolymeric carbon within OC ranged from 4.1% to 19.9% and showed a wide trophic range (65–834 μg g⁻¹ d.w.). Proteins (PRT) represented on average the main biochemical class contributing to labile organic carbon, followed by lipids (LIP) and carbohydrates (CHO). The activity of aminopeptidase, β-d-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase and esterase was checked, giving the highest values at Tethys Bay and at the deepest water sediments. The principal component analysis, which was computed considering physical, chemical (elemental and biochemical sedimentary composition) and microbiological parameters (including bacterial abundance, ectoenzymatic activities, T-RFs richness and diversity indices), allowed to obtain two main clusters (“Tethys Bay” and “other stations”). Based on data obtained, two representative 16S rRNA clone libraries using samples from Tethys Bay and Gerlache Inlet were constructed. The sequences of 171 clones were compared to those available in public databases to determine their approximate phylogenetic affiliations. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were disclosed, with the majority of them affiliated with the Gamma- and Deltaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Acidobacteria. The occurrence of strictly anaerobic bacteria suggests that sediments might also undergo anoxic conditions that, in turn, could favor the accumulation of PRT in respect to CHO, assuming that fermentation of amino acids is slower than that of sugars from decomposing polysaccharides.     

Estimates of effective permeability for non-Newtonian fluid flow in randomly heterogeneous porous media

An understanding of the interplay between non-Newtonian effects in porous media flow and field-scale domain heterogeneity is of great importance in several engineering and geological applications. Here we present a simplified approach to the derivation of an effective permeability for flow of a purely viscous power–law fluid with flow behavior index n in a randomly heterogeneous porous domain subject to a uniform pressure gradient. A standard form of the flow law generalizing the Darcy’s law to non-Newtonian fluids is adopted, with the permeability coefficient being the only source of randomness. The natural logarithm of the permeability is considered a spatially homogeneous and correlated Gaussian random field. Under the ergodic hypothesis, an effective permeability is first derived for two limit 1-D flow geometries: flow parallel to permeability variation (serial-type layers), and flow transverse to permeability variation (parallel-type layers). The effective permeability of a 2-D or 3-D isotropic domain is conjectured to be a power average of 1-D results, generalizing results valid for Newtonian fluids under the validity of Darcy’s law; the conjecture is validated comparing our results with previous literature findings. The conjecture is then extended, allowing the exponents of the power averaging to be functions of the flow behavior index. For Newtonian flow, novel expressions for the effective permeability reduce to those derived in the past. The effective permeability is shown to be a function of flow dimensionality, domain heterogeneity, and flow behavior index. The impact of heterogeneity is significant, especially for shear-thinning fluids with a low flow behavior index, which tend to exhibit channeling behavior.     

残积土抗剪强度的环剪试验研究

残积土风化剧烈,研究其大变形下的工程特性很有必要。利用环剪仪的试验特点,可以研究土体在较大剪切位移下抗剪强度的变化规律。通过对残积土残余和峰值强度的环剪试验测定和对试验数据的整理与对比分析,得到了含水率与残余强度指标之间的关系,证明大变形下残积土具有浸水软化的特性;从应变阈值角度分析了残积土应变软化的性质,不同剪切位移下的残积土具有不同的抗剪强度,所研究的残积土达到峰值强度对应的应变介于0.02～0.06之间,而到达基本稳定的残余强度所需要的应变介于0.06～0.20区域内。研究还发现,矿物成分不同直接影响到残积土的残余强度,是残积土不均匀性的内部因素     

湖冰厚度遥感反演进展与展望

湖冰是对气候变化十分敏感的冰冻圈水文变量,起到调节区域气候和湖泊生态系统的作用,并作为一种自然资源服务于冰上生产生活。湖冰覆盖和湖冰厚度是研究湖冰过程的关键变量,目前大多数湖冰研究集中在湖冰覆盖领域,湖冰厚度领域由于缺乏实测资料和专门的遥感观测平台还存在诸多空白,大量缺资料地区湖冰厚度仍处于未知状态,亟待方法和数据上的突破与创新。本文综述了近20年国内外湖冰厚度遥感反演领域的进展,介绍了各类反演方法的原理机理及主要优缺点,其中被动微波遥感方法具有良好的时间分辨率但空间分辨率较粗,难以覆盖中小型湖泊;基于SAR影像的主动微波方法空间分辨率较高但物理机制复杂,可靠性有待进一步验证;基于测高雷达的主动微波方法观测时段较长,物理机制明确,易于拓展到无实测资料湖泊,但空间覆盖相对有限;热红外遥感方法时空分辨率较好,但容易受云和湖冰表面积雪的影响,反演精度和可靠性有待提升。在此基础上,本文分析湖冰厚度遥感反演领域面临的主要挑战和发展方向包括：（1）厘清湖冰表面积雪相关的物理过程;（2）实现大范围实测冰厚和遥感资料的集成;（3）实现多源遥感冰厚反演方法的交叉融合。     

The Role of Groundwater for Lake‐Water Quality and Quantification of N Seepage

The heterogeneous nature of both groundwater discharge to a lake (inflow) and nitrate concentrations in groundwater can lead to significant errors in calculations of nutrient loading. Therefore, an integrated approach, combining groundwater flow and transport modelling with observed nitrate and ammonium groundwater concentrations, was used to estimate nitrate loading from a catchment via groundwater to an oligotrophic flow‐through lake (Lake Hampen, Denmark). The transport model was calibrated against three vertical nitrate profiles from multi‐level wells and 17 shallow wells bordering a crop field near the lake. Nitrate concentrations in groundwater discharging to the lake from the crop field were on average 70 times higher than in groundwater from forested areas. The crop field was responsible for 96% of the total nitrate loading (16.2 t NO₃/year) to the lake even though the field only covered 4.5% of the catchment area. Consequently, a small change in land use in the catchment will have a large effect on the lake nutrient balance and possible lake restoration. The study is the first known attempt to estimate the decrease of nitrate loading via groundwater to a seepage lake when an identified catchment source (a crop field) is removed.     

斜坡地基静力触探试验离散元分析

通过二维离散元模拟斜坡地基静力触探试验,研究试验过程中锥尖阻力的变化以及斜坡地基的宏微观力学响应。结果表明:归一化锥尖阻力峰值在坡角较小时无明显提升,在坡角足够大时提升明显,稳定值随着坡角增大略微减小,说明斜坡边界对表层土力学性能影响明显,而对深层土影响较弱;锥尖贯入过程中,斜坡地基探杆两侧土体变形不对称,坡上一侧膨胀,坡下一侧压缩,不对称性随着坡角增大而增大;贯入到表层时,探杆两侧微观接触力链不对称,坡上一侧具有更大应力,但当贯入到深层时力链趋向于对称,其临界深度随着坡角增大而增大,与坡角呈近似线性关系。     

珠江口盆地低阻油层饱和度评价方法

珠江口盆地的低阻油层具有高泥质含量、低电阻率以及低产能的特点, 其真实含油饱和度的确定存在很大的困难。首先分析了区域低阻油层的地质成因, 指出地层束缚水含量高, 以及由此形成的发达的导电网络是导致油层低阻的主要原因;在此基础上, 利用多种适合于泥质砂岩地层的饱和度模型进行计算, 并根据密闭取心资料, 重点分析了在不同地层条件下, 对岩样含油、水饱和度进行脱气校正、压实校正、体积系数校正以及漏失校正的方法;并结合核磁共振测井, 对测井计算的含水饱和度进行标定。结果显示, 低阻油层的含水饱和度平均在70%以上, 且印度尼西亚公式计算的含水饱和度与岩心校正后的饱和度以及核磁束缚水饱和度吻合均很好, 因此印度尼西亚公式是最适合本区域低阻油层的饱和度评价模型。