A new portable in situ flume for measuring critical shear stress on river beds

A new portable in situ flume(PISF)for measuring critical bed shear stress(CBSS)was developed in this study.The PISF consists of an open bottom sediment erosion chamber and an electrically-driven pump.Unlike most existing in situ flumes with similar designs,the new PISF does not rely on monitoring the flow conditions or particle density in the sediment erosion chamber;instead,it is a pre-calibrated flume.The calibration was performed by first determining CBSS of various selected sediment samples of known particle size and density(using the law of the wall),based on flow velocity-depth profiles measured in a 6 m straight open-channel flume using a Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV)system.These same particles of known CBSS were then used in the new in-situ flume under controlled lab conditions to obtain a series of calibration curves of CBSS vs.pump electrical power.A wide variety of particle types and sizes(simulated sediments)were used in this two-step calibration procedure to widen CBSS measurement range and simulate cohesive force effects.The size of the PISF is much smaller and more practical than other similar devices as lamellar flow conditions are not required and it can be applied to a wide range of sediment types including cohesive sediments.     

陕西小秦岭金矿床“三位一体”勘查区找矿预测地质模型及找矿意义

为解决制约找矿突破的关键问题,运用勘查区找矿预测理论,通过开展构造-蚀变专项填图、典型矿床解剖等工作,重点研究了小秦岭金矿田石英脉型金矿床的成矿地质体、成矿构造和成矿结构面、成矿作用的特征标志;在综合分析研究的基础上初步构建了"三位一体"找矿预测模型;并结合岩石地球化学测量成果,圈定了13处找矿靶区,其中两处找矿靶区经工程验证见到工业矿体,初步证明陕西小秦岭金矿田石英脉型金矿床"三位一体"勘查区找矿预测地质模型预测效果良好,在矿田新一轮"攻深找盲"工作中具有现实的指导意义。      

The response of vegetation growth to shifts in trend of temperature in China

Though many studies have focused on the causes of shifts in trend of temperature, whether the response of vegetation growth to temperature has changed is still not very clear. In this study, we analyzed the spatial features of the trend changes of temperature during the growing season and the response of vegetation growth in China based on observed climatic data and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 1984 to 2011. An obvious warming to cooling shift during growing season from the period 1984–1997 to the period 1998–2011 was identified in the northern and northeastern regions of China, whereas a totally converse shift was observed in the southern and western regions, suggesting large spatial heterogeneity of changes of the trend of growing season temperature throughout China. China as a whole, a significant positive relationship between vegetation growth and temperature during 1984 to 1997 has been greatly weakened during 1998–2011. This change of response of vegetation growth to temperature has also been confirmed by Granger causality test. On regional scales, obvious shifts in relationship between vegetation growth and temperature were identified in temperate desert region and rainforest region. Furthermore, by comprehensively analyzing of the relationship between NDVI and climate variables, an overall reduction of impacts of climate factors on vegetation growth was identified over China during recent years, indicating enhanced influences from human associated activities.     

Stability evaluation method for hyperbolic coal pillars under the coupling effects of high temperature and ground stress

We studied an underground coal gasification technique using strip mining-face mining gasifier controlled retraction injection technology (SMFM). This green mining approach offers several advantages over conventional strip mining but the stress distribution and stability of SMFM operations remain largely untested. In particular, hyperbolic coking pillars are used in SMFM compared with rectangular pillars used in traditional strip mining, which can influence the ultimate bearing capacity and stability. We use numerical simulations to investigate the influence of different factors (arch height, pillar height and width, mechanical characteristics), under the coupling effect of high temperature, on the ultimate bearing capacity of hyperbolic pillars. Our results indicate that arch height has a strong influence on pillar stress, while changes in pillar width and height are less significant. A stability evaluation method is proposed and tested on a case study in Inner Mongolia. Our theoretical results have practical significance for the promotion and application of SMFM.     

Spatial heterogeneity of economic development and industrial pollution in urban China

The relationship between economic development and environmental pollution has been widely studied in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve. This study applies the three-dimension framework of density, division, and distance proposed by the World Bank to identify the spatial heterogeneity of development and pollution in urban China. An inverted U relationship is detected between density and industrial SO₂ emission, while a cubic relationship is found between density and industrial SO₂/soot emission intensity. The statistical significance of division indicates that the pollution haven hypothesis holds in the western region and cities in the periphery. The environmental implication of distance is that the industrial pollution is largely concentrated in the national and regional cores.     

场地划分标准对基岩地震动参数衰减关系的影响

基于美国NGA强震观测数据库中描述场地的不同指标,定义了五种不同的"基岩"场地类型,得到了相应的数据集;同时采用最小二乘法回归得到了世界范围内对应不同"基岩"定义的地震动参数衰减关系,并研究了不同场地划分标准造成的基岩地震动参数衰减关系的差异。     

岩石化学风化时效效应的离散元模拟

微观上,岩石由晶粒和晶粒之间的联接组成。在岩石的风化过程中,晶粒之间的联接会被削弱,导致岩石微观缺陷的发展,从而表现为显著的时效效应。在已有胶结模型的基础上,将岩石的化学风化过程等效为颗粒之间胶结物质不断溶蚀进而影响颗粒之间胶结强度和刚度的过程,基于此建立了考虑化学风化的微观接触模型。随后将模型植入离散元软件,运用离散元方法（DEM）,模拟和对比分析了室内腐蚀试验与DEM模拟化学风化试验,结果表明：该模型可以反映岩石强度的化学风化时效效应,即随着反应时间增加,强度减小;可以反映单轴压缩试验中裂隙压密阶段以后变形的时效效应,即随着反应时间的增加,弹性模量、破坏时应变减小;粒间胶结的破坏,即微观缺陷的发育,是导致岩石化学风化时效效应的微观原因。同时DEM模拟风化与加载耦合的试验现象表明,施工过程中的施工速度会影响岩石的强度,施工应该选择合适的速率。     

滦县ML5.0地震前重力异常探讨

分析研究了2004年1月20日河北省滦县ML5．0地震孕育过程中首都圈重力场的异常变化和动态演化特征。结果表明,震前出现的重力上升-下降-上升变化是较明显的中短期异常反映;重力场动态图像较清晰地反映了研究区重力场的准均匀态-非均匀态一发震的演化过程;滦县地区重力场的异常变化形态支持了孕震体震前膨胀的理论。     

Integrated method of RS and GPR for monitoring the changes in the soil moisture and groundwater environment due to underground coal mining

Mining affects the environment in different ways depending on the physical context in which the mining occurs. In mining areas with an arid environment, mining affects plants’ growth by changing the amount of available water. This paper discusses the effects of mining on two important determinants of plant growth—soil moisture and groundwater table (GWT)—which were investigated using an integrated approach involving a field sampling investigation with remote sensing (RS) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR). To calculate and map the distribution of soil moisture for a target area, we initially analyzed four models for regression analysis between soil moisture and apparent thermal inertia and finally selected a linear model for modeling the soil moisture at a depth 10 cm; the relative error of the modeled soil moisture was about 6.3% and correlation coefficient 0.7794. A comparison of mined and unmined areas based on the results of limited field sampling tests or RS monitoring of Landsat 5-thermatic mapping (TM) data indicated that soil moisture did not undergo remarkable changes following mining. This result indicates that mining does not have an effect on soil moisture in the Shendong coal mining area. The coverage of vegetation in 2005 was compared with that in 1995 by means of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) deduced from TM data, and the results showed that the coverage of vegetation in Shendong coal mining area has improved greatly since 1995 because of policy input RMB￥0.4 per ton coal production by Shendong Coal Mining Company. The factor most affected by coal mining was GWT, which dropped from a depth of 35.41 m before mining to a depth of 43.38 m after mining at the Bulianta Coal Mine based on water well measurements. Ground-penetrating radar at frequencies of 25 and 50 MHz revealed that the deepest GWT was at about 43.4 m. There was a weak water linkage between the unsaturated zone and groundwater, and the decline of water table primarily resulted from the well pumping for mining safety rather than the movement of cracking strata. This result is in agreement with the measurements of the water wells. The roots of nine typical plants in the study area were investigated. Populus was found to have the deepest root system with a depth of about 26 m. Based on an assessment of plant growth demands and the effect of mining on environmental factors, we concluded that mining will have less of an effect on plant growth at those sites where the primary GWT depth before mining was deep enough to be unavailable to plants. If the primary GWT was available for plant growth before mining, especially to those plants with deeper roots, mining will have a significant effect on the growth of plants and the mechanism of this effect will include the loss of water to roots and damage to the root system.     

Environmental significance of snowpit chemistry in the typical monsoonal temperate glacier region,Baishui glacier no. 1, Mt Yulong,China

Samples were collected from two snowpits in Baishui glacier no. 1, Mt Yulong, China, in May 2006. Snowpit chemistry was studied, using ion tracer techniques, HYSPLIT model, factor analysis, correlation and trend analysis. It indicated that total cation concentration is higher in 4,900-m snowpit than in 4,750-m snowpit, whereas total anion concentration is higher in 4,750-m snowpit. Cations, especially Ca²⁺, dominate ionic concentrations in Baishui glacier no. 1. According to correlation analysis and factor analysis, ions can be categorized as follows: Cl⁻ and NO₃ ⁻ as Group 1, SO₄ ²⁻ as Group 2, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ as Group 3, Na⁺ as Group 4, K⁺ as Group 5. Contribution made by terrestrial dust to ionic concentration accounts for 52.27, 100, 99.36, 98.91, 96.16 and 99.97% of Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, respectively, in 4,900-m snowpit, and for 64.00, 100, 99.57, 98.63, 96.25 and 99.97% in 4,750-m snowpit. Local dust is the principal source of snowpit chemical components. Pollutants brought from industrial areas of South Asia, Southeast Asia and South China by monsoonal circulation also makes some contribution to anion concentrations, but pollution associated with human activities makes a very slight contribution in study area. The chemical characteristics of two snowpits are different owing to the difference of deposition mechanism and local environment in different altitudes.