不同成因沉积土物理力学指标概率统计分析

土体的物理力学指标具有地域特征,不同地质成因下土体的工程性质差异较大。基于大连离岸式人工岛工程地质勘察资料,根据不同的地质成因,将地基土体沿深度方向划分为海相沉积层、海陆交互沉积层与陆相沉积层3个独立的统计单元体。结合数理统计方法,应用SPSS软件对3个单元体土体的物理力学指标进行了统计与回归分析,并采用偏斜度、峰值法对土体指标的正态分布特征进行了假设检验。在正态分布的基础上,运用Bayes方法对土体抗剪强度指标进行了优化。研究结果表明:3个统计单元体土体物理力学性质差异较大,不同单元体下的土体指标呈现出不同的分布特征。经过Bayes优化后土体指标的标准差与变异系数明显减小,实现了对变量的时变预测。     

Trace-element patterns in lateritic soils applied to geochemical exploration

Geochemical soil surveys in areas underlain by Precambrian volcano-metasedimentary sequences and around rare-metal-bearing pegmatites of southwestern Nigeria demonstrate that residual geochemical soil patterns reflect a wide range of potential source rocks adequately. The secondary geochemical dispersion processes in these typically tropical weathering environments adjust the trace-element distribution during lateritic soil development to narrow fluctuation ranges in comparison to the differing Clarke values of various source rock units.The sample density in these soil surveys, averaging at one sample per square kilometer, favours geochemical inventories even at regional scale and shows great potentials to predict bedrock composition of tropical terrain where rock outcrops are rather scarce.     

Geochemical patterns in soils of the karst region,Croatia

Soil samples were collected at 420 locations in a 5-km grid pattern in the Istria and Gorski Kotar areas of Croatia, and on the Croatian islands of Cres, Rab and Krk, in order to relate geochemical variation in the soils to underlying differences in geology, bedrock lithology, soil type, environment and natural versus anthropogenic influences. Specific objectives included assessment of possible agricultural and industrial sources of contamination, especially from airborne effluent emitted by a local power plant. The study also tested the adequacy of a fixed-depth soil sampling procedure developed for meager karstic soils. Although 40 geochemical variables were analyzed, only 15 elements and 5 radionuclides are common to all the sample locations. These elements can be divided into three groups: (1) those of mostly anthropogenic origin — Pb, V, Cu and Cr; (2) those of mixed origin — radionuclides and Zn; and (3) those of mostly geogene origin — Ba, Sr, Ti, Al, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Ni and Co. Variation in Pb shows a strong correlation with the pattern of road traffic in Istria. The distributions of Ca, Na and Mg in the flysch basins of southern Istria and Slovenia are clearly distinguishable from the distributions of these elements in the surrounding carbonate terrains, a consequence of differences in bedrock permeability, type of drainage and pH. The spatial pattern of ¹³⁷Cs from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident reflects almost exclusively the precipitation in Istria during the days immediately after the explosion.     

Crack patterns in clayey soils: Experiments and modeling

The paper presents an experimental and numerical study to investigate the behavior of desiccated clayey soils. The performed tests permit to evaluate the crack pattern as well as the tensile strength as a function of suction. A new model that relates the porosity evolution to the suction and to the tensile strength was developed and implemented in the finite element program CODE_BRIGHT. The proposed model captured the initiation and propagation of cracks in a thin layer of desiccated clay and predicted crack patterns in terms of the Minkowski densities (i.e. average crack length and crack intensity factor). The effect of the heterogeneity of the tested specimens, modeled by random clusters, was also quantified. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of spatio-temporal patterns of seasonal streamflow droughts in a semi-arid region

Natural Hazards - Spatio-temporal patterns of seasonal streamflow droughts were investigated for the semi-arid Karkheh watershed, located in western Iran with an area of 41,470 km2,...     

Detrital tin patterns in stream sediments and soils in mid-cornwall

Regional stream sediment sampling in southwest England has revealed extensive anomalous Sn values outside the known Sn mining districts. A detailed investigation of some of these anomalies in the Truro-Mitchell area of Cornwall, has shown that the high Sn concentration was due to detrital cassiterite introduced during previous cycles of erosion. Soil anomalies associated with these detrital cassiterite concentrations are contrasted with those related to known Sn mineralization. Methods of differentiating significant anomalies from those of detrital type on the basis of associated elements are discussed.     

Modelling seasonal variations of natural radioactivity in soils: A case study in southern Italy

The activity of natural radionuclides in soil has become an environmental concern for local public and national authorities because of the harmful effects of radiation exposure on human health. In this context, modelling and mapping the activity of natural radionuclides in soil is an important research topic. The study was aimed to model, in a spatial sense, the soil radioactivity in an urban and peri-urban soils area in southern Italy to analyse the seasonal influence on soil radioactivity. Measures of gamma radiation naturally emitted through the decay of radioactive isotopes (potassium, uranium and thorium) were analysed using a geostatistical approach to map the spatial distribution of soil radioactivity. The activity of three radionuclides was measured at 181 locations using a high-resolution ?-ray spectrometry. To take into account the influence of season, the measurements were carried out in summer and in winter. Activity data were analysed by using a geostatistical approach and zones of relatively high or low radioactivity were delineated. Among the main processes which influence natural radioactivity such as geology, geochemical, pedological, and ecological processes, results of this study showed a prominent control of radio-emission measurements by seasonal changes. Low natural radioactivity levels were measured in December associated with winter weather and moist soil conditions (due to high rainfall and low temperature), and higher activity values in July, when the soil was dry and no precipitations occurred.     

The nature and patterns of damping of stress waves in soils

This paper considers the main patterns of damping of stress waves in disperse and semi-rock soils. We determined two strain thresholds, beyond which the damping ratio qualitatively changes: in the region of relative deformations up to 10⁻⁴ the damping ratio can be considered to be constant and is caused by non-ideal elasticity and viscous losses; beyond this strain threshold the damping monotonically increases due to initial plastic soil deformations; in the region of moderate-level shear deformations the increase of the damping ratio slows for relative shear deformations higher than 0.002, primarily because of the rapid decrease of the fraction of the damping due to non-ideal soil elasticity and heat losses in the course of degradation of structural bonds.     

Formation of drying crack patterns in soils: a deterministic approach

Soils, as well as most of deformable multiphase porous materials, are likely to suffer from desiccation cracking, leading to the formation of regular crack patterns affecting their permeability. The ensuing crack spacing has often been related to a concept sometimes called “sequential infilling”: it is assumed that desiccation cracks are formed by successive generations. However, such a concept does not consider the pattern of a simultaneous crack formation at a given moment. Using our desiccation cracking test results and their numerical simulation, we propose a consistent explanation for the formation of desiccation crack patterns in soils. We show that the “sequential infilling” concept is suitable only when the position of the crack(s) clearly stems from the stress field. To derive an estimate of the desiccation crack spacing, the overall energy of the system needs to be considered. Statistical variability should be superimposed on the mean deterministic conditions discussed here.     

Interaction of monsoon with northern hemisphere mid-latitude circulation

Fourier analysis has been used for the monthly mean northern hemispheric geopotential height for the levels 700 mb and 300 mb for the months April through August in bad monsoon years (1972, 74 and 79) and in years of good monsoon rainfall over India (1967, 73, 77). From the Fourier coefficients the transport of momentum and of sensible heat have been computed in wave number domain. Waves 1 to 3 show contrasting features during years of good monsoon and bad monsoon. Northward transport of momentum across subtropical latitudes is larger in good monsoon years, while northward transport of sensible heat is larger in bad monsoon years. In good monsoon years there is a large divergence of momentum in the subtropics while there is a large convergence of momentum in the mid-latitudes. In bad monsoon years there is a large divergence of sensible heat in the sub-tropics, but a large convergence in the mid-latitudes. These quantities show similar features in pre-monsoon (April to May) during good and bad monsoon years.     

Precise radiocarbon dating of Late-Glacial cooling in mid-latitude South America

Variability of atmospheric ¹⁴C content often complicates radiocarbon-based chronologies; however, specific features such as periods of constant ¹⁴C age or steep changes in radiocarbon ages can be useful stratigraphic markers. The Younger Dryas event in the Northern Hemisphere is one of those periods, showing conspicuous ¹⁴C wiggles. Although the origin of those variations is not fully understood, we can make practical use of them and determine: (i) whether the Younger Dryas was global in extent; if so, (ii) were the initial cooling and the final warming synchronous worldwide; and (iii) what are the implications of these similarities/differences? Here we report high-resolution AMS ¹⁴C chronologies from the mid-latitudes of South America that pinpoint a cool episode between 11,400 and 10,200¹⁴C yr B.P. The onset of the final cool episode of the Late Glacial in the southern mid-latitudes, i.e., the Huelmo/Mascardi Cold Reversal, preceded the onset of the Younger Dryas cold event by ∼550 calendar years. Both events ended during a radiocarbon-age plateau at ∼10,200¹⁴C yr B.P. Thus, the Huelmo/Mascardi Cold Reversal encompasses the Younger Dryas, as well as a couple of short-term cool/warm oscillations that immediately preceded its onset in the North Atlantic region.     

Hydrological indications of aeolian salts in mid-latitude deserts of northwestern China

Large sandy deserts in middle latitude of northwestern China were studied on salt variations in modern and ancient aeolian sediments, aiming to explore their hydrological indications at the present and past. Globally, sulphate is rich in arid to semi-arid deserts, including the aeolian loess sediments in China and soils in low-latitude deserts, but is less common in the aeolian sediments from the mid-latitude deserts in this study. The compositional differences between aeolian salts and local natural waters is evident, indicating the chemistry of aeolian salts and the associated parent brines may be significantly different than that predicted for hydrologically closed systems. The formation of aeolian salts in the studied deserts is strongly controlled by earth surface processes in a large scale but not in a local scale. Vertical changes in facies and salinities are abrupt in the studied palaeo-aeolian sediment samples, which were interbedded by lacustrine/fluvial sediments with OSL and ¹⁴C ages ranging between 40 and 2 ka BP, reflecting rapid high-amplitude changes in hydrological settings during late Pleistocene to later Holocene in these ancient playa systems. A great difference in salt composition between aeolian and lacustrine sediments suggests that the inorganic salt is a latent geoproxy in revealing local hydrological variations and climate change in the desert areas. But the environmental indications could be amphibolous for the sedimentary sequences with dual/multiple depositional end-members; under this situation an increase in sequence salinity does not always represent an enhanced environmental aridity. Ancient playas are arid or humid at the same time based on several sporadic records is not a valid approach to correlation of salt deposits in adjacent saline playa basin in the studied areas. Effects of earth surface processes including erosion, deposition and other processes on sediment properties will bias the hydrological implications of sediment salinity.     

Bacterial tetraether membrane lipids in peat and coal: Testing the MBT-CBT temperature proxy for climate reconstruction

Peatlands are widespread and important natural archives of environmental change. Here we explore the potential of the recently introduced MBT-CBT proxy (methylation index and cyclisation ratio of branched tetraethers) to estimate past annual mean air temperature (MAT) based on the distribution of bacterially-derived branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) membrane lipids in peat and coal. To this end, branched GDGTs in an ombrotrophic peat bog from Switzerland and three coal deposits of increasing maturity were analysed.For the surface of the bog, reconstructed annual MAT is higher than both measured annual MAT and measured in situ pore water temperature. Changes in the CBT ratio, considered a proxy for pH, with depth in the bog do not match with present day in situ pore water pH, but coincide with a peat stratigraphic boundary. This indicates that GDGTs down the bog profile are predominantly fossil and not derived from extant biomass. The MBT-CBT derived annual MAT record also shows a large drop at this stratigraphic boundary, which likely relates to past change in trophic status of the bog. Branched GDGTs are abundant in an immature lignite (vitrinite reflectance, R_o 0.25%), but occur in low amount in a slightly more mature coal (R_o 0.32%). Annual MAT could be reconstructed for the lignite alone and is higher than other proxy-based estimates from approximately the same time and location.Our results indicate potential for the application of the MBT-CBT proxy in peat and immature coals, but improved constraints on the effects of different types of peat on branched GDGT distributions as well as improved calibration of MAT estimates are needed before the method can be confidently applied.     

Mastodon herbivory in mid-latitude late-Pleistocene boreal forests of eastern North America

Skeletal remains of the extinct American mastodon have often been found with deposits of short, decorticated twigs intermixed with plant fragments presumed to be gastrointestinal or fecal material. If such deposits are digesta, paleobotanical evidence may be used to analyze mastodon foraging strategy, with implications for assessing habitat selection, ecological roles, and response to environmental change. To identify components of mastodon diet in mid-latitude late-Pleistocene boreall forests of eastern North America, plant macrofossils and pollen from a molar socket (Hyde Park site, New York) were compared with dispersed deposits associated with skeletal remains (Hiscock and Chemung sites, New York). Similar macrofossil condition and twig morphology among samples, but difference from a modern boreal fen analog, confirmed the deposits were digesta. Comparison of twigs with material from other paleontological sites and modern elephants suggested dimensions generally indicative of digesta. Picea formed the bulk of each sample but Pinus may have been locally important. Wintertime browsing of Salix and Populus, and springtime consumption of Alnus, were indicated. Evidence for Cyperaceae, Gramineae, and Compositae was ambiguous. If conifers, broadleaf trees, shrubs, and herbs were necessary to fulfill dietary requirements, mastodons would have been nutritionally stressed by rapid late-Pleistocene decrease in vegetational diversity.     

Spatial and seasonal patterns in sediment nitrogen remineralization and ammonium concentrations in San Francisco Bay,California

Nitrogen remineralization and extractable ammonium concentrations were measured in sediments from several locations in North and South San Francisco bays. In South Bay, remineralization rates decreased with depth in sediment and were highest in the spring following the seasonal phytoplankton bloom. At the channel stations, peak remineralization lagged peak water-column phytoplankton biomass (as measured by chlorophylla) by a month. Remineralization rates were generally higher in South Bay than North Bay. The lower remineralization rates in North Bay may be a result of anomalously low phytoplankton production and thus reduced deposition to the sediments, as well as low reiverine organic inputs to the upper estuary in recent years. Remineralization rates were positively correlated to carbon and nitrogen content of the sediments. In general, ammonium profiles in South Bay sediments showed no increase in deeper (4–8 cm) sediments. In North Bay, ammonium concentrations were greatest at stations with highest remineralization rates, and, in contrast to South Bay, extractable ammonium increased in deeper sediment. Differences in ammonium pools between North Bay and South Bay may be a result of increased irrigation by deep-dwelling macrofauna, which are more abundant in South Bay.     

TECHNICAL NOTE An experimental investigation of air flow patterns in saturated soils during air sparging

Air sparging is an emerging method used to remediate saturated soils and groundwater that have been contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). During air sparging, air is injected into the subsurface below the lowest known depth of contamination. Due to buoyancy, the injected air will rise through the zone of contamination. Through a variety of mechanisms, including volatilization and biodegradation, the air will serve to remove or help degrade the contaminants. The contaminant-laden air will continue to rise towards the ground surface, eventually reaching the vadose zone, where the vapours are collected and treated using a soil vapour extraction (SVE) system.Air sparging performance and ultimately contaminant removal efficiency is highly dependent on the pattern and type of subsurface air flow. This paper presents the results of a laboratory experimental study which investigated the injected air flow pattern development within an aquifer simulation apparatus. The test apparatus consisted of a tank measuring 61 cm long by 25.4 cm wide by 38.1 cm high. The apparatus was equipped with one air injection well and two vapour extracton wells. Three different soils were used to simulate different aquifer conditions, including a sand, a fine gravel and a medium gravel. Experiments were performed with different injected air pressures combined with different vacuum and groundwater flow conditions. Experiments were also conducted by injecting air into simulated shallow aquifers with different thicknesses. The air flow patterns observed were found to depend significantly on the soil type, groundwater flow conditions and system controls, including injected air pressure, flow rate and applied vacuum. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998     

Rapid warming in mid-latitude central Asia for the past 100 years

Surface air temperature variations during the last 100 years (1901–2003) in mid-latitude central Asia were analyzed using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs). The results suggest that temperature variations in four major sub-regions, i.e. the eastern monsoonal area, central Asia, the Mongolian Plateau and the Tarim Basin, respectively, are coherent and characterized by a striking warming trend during the last 100 years. The annual mean temperature increasing rates at each sub-region (representative station) are 0.19°C per decade, 0.16°C per decade, 0.23°C per decade and 0.15°C per decade, respectively. The average annual mean temperature increasing rate of the four sub-regions is 0.18°C per decade, with a greater increasing rate in winter (0.21°C per decade). In Asian mid-latitude areas, surface air temperature increased relatively slowly from the 1900s to 1970s, and it has increased rapidly since 1970s. This pattern of temperature variation differs from that in the other areas of China. Notably, there was no obvious warming between the 1920s and 1940s, with temperature fluctuating between warming and cooling trends (e.g. 1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s). However, the warming trends are of a greater magnitude and their durations are longer than that of the cooling periods, which leads to an overall warming. The amplitude of temperature variations in the study region is also larger than that in eastern China during different periods.     

软土物理力学性质指标与微结构参数的灰色关联-神经网络模型

通过对广州市南沙地区大量软土物理力学试验和微结构分析,获取了40组软土试样的物理力学性质指标和微观结构参数。综合运用灰色关联分析的数据分析能力和人工神经网络的非线性映射功能,建立了软土物理力学性质指标与微结构参数的灰色关联-径向基神经网络模型。该模型利用灰色关联分析方法对数据进行预处理,提取重要因子作为网络的输入,而径向基神经网络充分利用样本数据信息,自适应确定隐含层节点个数、径向基函数中心、宽度以及网络的权系数。克服了传统RBF网络隐层节点数为样本个数,当数据较多时导致网络结构庞大、学习速度慢的缺点。通过模型A和模型B的实例研究表明,该方法简化了网络结构,提高了训练速度和预测精度,为软土物理力学性质与微结构参数关系的定量研究提供了一条有效途径。     

Changes in the indices of the strength and strain properties of loamy soils under the influence of fermentation and denitrification

The results of studying the influence of fermenting and denitrifying bacteria on some properties of loamy soils are presented. After the treatment of loamy soils by the bacteria, there was a tendency towards a decrease in soil densities, an increase in porosity, a decrease in the angle of internal friction by 10–40% and in the angle of coherence by 25–40%, along with a decrease in the strain modulus by 35–65% in the load range of 0.1–0.2 MPa. Data are analyzed, and microbiological processes that might cause such changes in the soil are indicated.