Three-dimensional Layer-integrated Modelling of Estuarine Flows with Flooding and Drying

Details are given of the refinement and application of a thee-dimensional (3-D) layer-integrated numerical model of tidal circulation, with the aim of simulating severe tidal conditions for practical engineering applications. The mode splitting strategy has been used in the model. A set of depth-integrated 2-D equations are first solved to give the pressure gradient, and the layer-integrated 3-D equations are then solved to obtain the vertical distributions of the flow velocities. Attention has been given to maintaining consistency of the physical quantities derived from the 2-D and 3-D equations. A TWO=layer mixing length turbulence model for the vertical shear stress distribution has been included in the model. Emphasis has been focused on applying the model to a real estuary, which is geometrically complicated and has large tidal ranges giving rise to extensive flooding and drying. The model has been applied to three examples, including: wind-driven flow in a rectangular lake, tidal circulation in a model rectangular harbour, and tidal circulation in a large estuary. Favourable results have been obtained for both the simple and complex flow beds.     

晚新生代亚洲干旱气候发展与全球变冷联系的风尘沉积证据

在干旱气候背景下常常有风尘物质的释放和传输,风尘沉积被认为是干旱环境变化良好的地质记录。在亚洲中部和中国北方,大面积的干旱区被沙漠戈壁覆盖,这些地区是粉尘物质的重要源地,释放的风尘物质影响局地和区域环境,并通过参与生物地球化学循环等影响更大空间尺度的气候变化。因此,亚洲中部干旱气候的形成和演化以及发展趋势一直受到重视。长期以来,关于晚新生代亚洲中部干旱气候发展的驱动机制至少有两种解释:一是青藏高原的隆升控制着亚洲中部的干旱化过程,随着高原的阶段性隆升亚洲干旱气候逐步增强;二是晚新生代全球变冷直接驱动着亚洲变干,全球变冷是主导因素。中国黄土高原及其周边地区堆积的黄土-红粘土序列是指示亚洲干旱化过程良好的地质记录,通过对新获得的风尘堆积记录的分析,发现在晚新生代中国风尘堆积的时空演化与全球变冷有较好的对应,全球变冷可以促使亚洲中部干旱气候发展并加强粉尘活动,而青藏高原隆升的幅度和时间还不清楚,进而认为是全球变冷而不是青藏高原隆升直接驱动亚洲内陆的阶段性变干。基于这些结果,我们认为以前关于青藏高原隆升影响全球气候的结论可能高估了青藏高原在地球环境演化中的作用,关于高原隆升直接驱动亚洲干旱化的结论还需要检验。     

Modeling the cyclic swelling pressure of mudrock using artificial neural networks

The stochastic nature of the cyclic swelling behavior of mudrock and its dependence on a large number of interdependent parameters was modeled using Time Delay Neural Networks (TDNNs). This method has facilitated predicting cyclic swelling pressure with an acceptable level of accuracy where developing a general mathematical model is almost impossible. A number of total pressure cells between shotcrete and concrete walls of the powerhouse cavern at Masjed–Soleiman Hydroelectric Powerhouse Project, South of Iran, where mudrock outcrops, confirmed a cyclic swelling pressure on the lining since 1999. In several locations, small cracks are generated which has raised doubts about long term stability of the powerhouse structure. This necessitated a study for predicting future swelling pressure. Considering the complexity of the interdependent parameters in this problem, TDNNs proved to be a powerful tool. The results of this modeling are presented in this paper.     

Influence of Cyclic Wetting Drying on Collapse Behaviour of Compacted Residual Soil

The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. Laboratory studies of earlier workers have established that the alternate wetting and drying process affects the swell-shrink potentials, water content, void ratio and particle cementation of expansive soils. The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of residual soils has not been examined. This paper examines the influence of alternate wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from Bangalore District. Results of such a study are useful in anticipating changes in collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil fills. Experimental results indicated that the cyclic wetting and drying process increased the degree of expansiveness of the residual soils and reduced their collapse tendency. Changes in the swell/collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from wetting drying effects are attributed to reduction in water content, void ratio and possible growth of cementation bonds.     

污水渗滤土地处理系统中的复氧方式及效果

复氧是困扰人工快渗、构造湿地等污水渗滤土地处理系统已久的问题。国际上目前采用的方法主要有3种：一是采用干湿交替的工作方式进行系统复氧，一是设置通气管对系统内部进行复氧，再一是利用植物的根系对系统内部进行复氧。研究结果表明，干湿交替的工作方式对系统的复氧条件有明显改善，而小水力负荷周期的工作方式对系统的复氧更为有效。通气管的设置通常与间歇性布水工作方式相结合，其效果通常要明显好于单纯采用干湿交替的工作方式。植物根系对系统的复氧，常因植物不同类型面具有不同的氧传输能力，植物根茎所能到达的范围往往决定了系统有效处理部位的大小。     

Cracking risk of partially saturated porous media—Part I: Microporoelasticity model

Drying of deformable porous media results in their shrinkage, and it may cause cracking provided that shrinkage deformations are hindered by kinematic constraints. This is the motivation to develop a thermodynamics‐based microporoelasticity model for the assessment of cracking risk in partially saturated porous geomaterials. The study refers to 3D representative volume elements of porous media, including a two‐scale double‐porosity material with a pore network comprising (at the mesoscale) 3D mesocracks in the form of oblate spheroids, and (at the microscale) spherical micropores of different sizes. Surface tensions prevailing in all interfaces between solid, liquid, and gaseous matters are taken into account. To establish a thermodynamics‐based crack propagation criterion for a two‐scale double‐porosity material, the potential energy of the solid is derived, accounting—in particular—for mesocrack geometry changes (main original contribution) and for effective micropore pressures, which depend (due to surface tensions) on the pore radius. Differentiating the potential energy with respect to crack density parameter yields the thermodynamical driving force for crack propagation, which is shown to be governed by an effective macrostrain. It is found that drying‐related stresses in partially saturated mesocracks reduce the cracking risk. The drying‐related effective underpressures in spherical micropores, in turn, result in a tensile eigenstress of the matrix in which the mesocracks are embedded. This way, micropores increase the mesocracking risk. Model application to the assessment of cracking risk during drying of argillite is the topic of the companion paper (Part II). Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Progress in Semi-arid Climate Change Studies in China

This article reviews recent progress in semi-arid climate change research in China.Results indicate that the areas of semiarid regions have increased rapidly during recent years in China,with an increase of 33%during 1994-2008 compared to 1948-62.Studies have found that the expansion rate of semi-arid areas over China is nearly 10 times higher than that of arid and sub-humid areas,and is mainly transformed from sub-humid/humid regions.Meanwhile,the greatest warming during the past 100 years has been observed over semi-arid regions in China,and mainly induced by radiatively forced processes.The intensity of the regional temperature response over semi-arid regions has been amplified by land-atmosphere interactions and human activities.The decadal climate variation in semi-arid regions is modulated by oceanic oscillations,which induce land-sea and north-south thermal contrasts and affect the intensities of westerlies,planetary waves and blocking frequencies.In addition,the drier climates in semi-arid regions across China are also associated with the weakened East Asian summer monsoon in recent years.Moreover,dust aerosols in semi-arid regions may have altered precipitation by affecting the local energy and hydrological cycles.Finally,semi-arid regions in China are projected to continuously expand in the 21st century,which will increase the risk of desertification in the near future.     

猪野泽记录的季风边缘区全新世中期 气候环境演化历史*

通过季风边缘区石羊河古终端湖猪野泽QTL剖面年代学及沉积物粒度、碳酸盐、有机碳、碳氮比和有机质稳定同位素等多项气候代用指标的综合分析,建立了季风边缘区9~3cal.kaB.P. 的古气候演化序列。结果表明,9cal.kaB.P. 到7.8cal.kaB.P. 期间,流域的水分条件和温度逐渐上升,植被状况好转,此时气候逐渐转暖湿;而在7.8~7.5cal.kaB.P. 出现了显著的百年尺度的干旱事件,沉积物主要以砂质沉积为主,此时湖泊生产力显著下降;全新世期间最为暖湿的气候适宜期出现在7.5~5.0cal.kaB.P.;约5.0cal.kaB.P. 以来,该区域出现了较为明显的干旱化趋势。另外,对猪野泽地区的白碱湖的湖泊地貌学和年代学研究表明该区域在7.5~5.0cal.kaB.P. 出现了3次高湖面,并且湖岸堤时序变化指示了全新世后半期湖泊逐渐退缩的过程进而指示该区域出现了显著的干旱化趋势。     

Environmental impact on construction limestone at humid regions with an emphasis on salt weathering,Al-hambra islamic archaeological site,Granada City,Spain: case study

Al-hambra is an immense and valuable archaeological site in Spain built on Sabika hill with red brick and natural sandy limestone. It exhibits weathering features indicating salt weathering process. The main aim of this study is to examine weathering processes and intensity acting on Al-hambra. Rock petrography and mineralogical composition have been examined using thin sections, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence; limits of rock’s physical parameters using ultrasonic waves and mercury porosimeter; rock salt content through hydrochemical analysis. Salts attacking this structure are mainly from wet deposition of air pollutants on the long term chemical alteration of rock’s carbonate content to its equivalent salts. The salts’ concentration limit within the examined rock samples is considerably low but it is effective on the long run through hydration of sulphate salts and/or crystallization of chloride salts. Rock texture type and its silica as well as clay content reduces its resistance to internal stresses by salts as well as wetting and drying cycles at such humid area. The recession in limits of physical parameters examined for deep seated and weathered limestone samples quantitatively reflects weathering intensity on Al-hambra.     

基于Weibull分布的红砂岩颗粒崩解破碎演化规律

红砂岩在我国分布广泛，由于含水率的变化使其崩解破碎十分显著。采用湖南株洲地区的红砂岩样，进行室内静态与扰动崩解试验。基于Weibull分布建立了红砂岩颗粒崩解破碎级配曲线演化模型，分析了模型参数λ与k的意义。分析表明，Weibull分布参数λ与k的大小及变化速率体现了红砂岩颗粒崩解破碎的演化过程。在建立模型的基础上，求得了相对崩解比的计算公式，并验证了计算公式的正确性。依据试验结果与模型计算值，讨论了耐崩解性指数与崩解比的异同及所采用试验方法的不同对试验结果造成的影响。在已有成果的基础上，验证了Weibull分布模型应用于岩石颗粒崩解破碎演化过程的可行性。