Activated sludge acclimation for toluene and DEHP degradation in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor

The effect of activated sludge acclimation on the biodegradation of toluene in the presence of a biodegradable non-aqueous phase liquid, di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor was characterized. The influence of the presence of DEHP, at a ratio of 0.1 % (volume ratio), and of the acclimation of activated sludge (AS) on the biodegradation of hydrophobic VOC was studied. AS was acclimated to both toluene and DEHP simultaneously. Using acclimated cells, 73 and 96 % improvement of the mean biodegradation rates was recorded for toluene and the organic solvent (DEHP), respectively, if compared to the values recorded in the absence of acclimation, during tests performed in Erlenmeyer flasks. Degradation rates were further improved by the use of acclimated AS in a reactor with a large head space; degradation yields for toluene and DEHP were above 99 and 89 %, respectively.     

Nonparametric Estimation of Undrained Shear Strength for Normally Consolidated Clays

For decades, various well-known empirical correlations have been established and commonly used to estimate the undrained shear strength of normally consolidated clays in geotechnical practice. However, there are still many contradictory cases regarding the validity of these correlations, so their applicability and reliability are questionable. In this study, an extensive geotechnical database for normally consolidated clays has been compiled. Next, a Bayesian nonparametric method is exploited to identify the most critical soil index properties in inferring the undrained shear strength and a new predictive model is proposed. Finally, the performance of the proposed predictive model is assessed and compared with two well-known correlations using an independent testing database. It confirms that the proposed model not only possesses high predictability, but also provides superior performance over other existing empirical correlations.     

Comparison between cell-centered and nodal-based discretization schemes for linear elasticity

In this paper, we study newly developed methods for linear elasticity on polyhedral meshes. Our emphasis is on applications of the methods to geological models. Models of subsurface, and in particular sedimentary rocks, naturally lead to general polyhedral meshes. Numerical methods which can directly handle such representation are highly desirable. Many of the numerical challenges in simulation of subsurface applications come from the lack of robustness and accuracy of numerical methods in the case of highly distorted grids. In this paper, we investigate and compare the Multi-Point Stress Approximation (MPSA) and the Virtual Element Method (VEM) with regard to grid features that are frequently seen in geological models and likely to lead to a lack of accuracy of the methods. In particular, we look at how the methods perform near the incompressible limit. This work shows that both methods are promising for flexible modeling of subsurface mechanics.     

Identifying influence areas with connectivity analysis – application to the local perturbation of heterogeneity distribution for history matching

Numerical representations of a target reservoir can help to assess the potential of different development plans. To be as predictive as possible, these representations or models must reproduce the data (static, dynamic) collected on the field. However, constraining reservoir models to dynamic data – the history-matching process – can be very time consuming. Many uncertain parameters need to be taken into account, such as the spatial distribution of petrophysical properties. This distribution is mostly unknown and usually represented by millions of values populating the reservoir grid. Dedicated parameterization techniques make it possible to investigate many spatial distributions from a small number of parameters. The efficiency of the matching process can be improved from the perturbation of specific regions of the reservoir. Distinct approaches can be considered to define such regions. For instance, one can refer to streamlines. The leading idea is to identify areas that influence the production behavior where the data are poorly reproduced. Here, we propose alternative methods based on connectivity analysis to easily provide approximate influence areas for any fluid-flow simulation. The reservoir is viewed as a set of nodes connected by weighted links that characterize the distance between two nodes. The path between nodes (or grid blocks) with the lowest cumulative weight yields an approximate flow path used to define influence areas. The potential of the approach is demonstrated on the basis of 2D synthetic cases for the joint integration of production and 4D saturation data, considering several formulations for the weights attributed to the links.     

Pico- and Nanophytoplankton Dynamics in Two Coupled but Contrasting Coastal Bays in the NW Mediterranean Sea (France)

Due to its ecological context, the Toulon bay represents a site of scientific interest to study temporal plankton distribution, particularly pico- and nanophytoplankton dynamics. A monthly monitoring was performed during a two-year cycle (October 2013–December 2015) at two coupled sampling sites, referred to as Little and Large bays, which had different morphometric characteristics and human pressures. Flow cytometry analyses highlighted the fact that pico- and nanophytoplankton were more abundant in the eutrophic Little bay. Furthermore, it evidenced two community structures across the Toulon bays: at times, a co-dominance of picoeukaryotes, nanoeukaryotes, Synechococcus 1-like cells and Prochlorococcus-like cells was found, and at other times, a Synechococcus 1-like dominated community existed. The alternation of one structure or the other can be explained by a combined action of temperature regime, nutrient conditions and degree of contamination. This study showed that pico- and nanophytoplankton dynamics were mainly driven by temperature in both sites, as in other temperate Mediterranean regions. Thus, the community was mainly composed of picoeukaryotes and Prochlorococcus-like cells in the winter (<?15 °C), while it was dominated by Synechococcus 1-like cells in the summer (>?20 °C). Additionally, the multiple human stressors in the Little bay seemed to affect the increase in abundance of Synechococcus 1-like cells as they were preferentially observed in the Large bay.     

断裂应力特征及其转折控油气规律研究——以南堡凹陷为例

为了分析断裂对油气宏观分布规律的控制作用,寻找有勘探潜力的油气富集带,文中以地质力学理论为指导,对南堡凹陷断裂组合应力特征、断裂转折及成因进行解析,并结合砂体分布和古今构造应力场分布特征,对南堡凹陷东营组油气分布规律和有利勘探区带做了研究。结果表明:断裂转折部位对油气分布有着控制作用,东营组已探明的油气主要在帚状断裂系、入字形断裂系、交织式断裂系转折轴部高曲率附近呈环带状分布;断裂转折凹面一侧控油性明显,从宏观上来看,油气具有沿沉积相带由细到粗的构造脊高点以及弧形断裂转折凹面一侧的选择性运移的特征,断裂转折轴部高曲率高孔、高渗域与高孔、高渗砂体沉积相带的有利对置决定了油气的主流向;综合研究指出,南堡凹陷北堡构造带是今后优势勘探的首要区带,其次是南堡构造带和南堡4号蛤坨构造带南部。     

内蒙古翁公敖包航磁异常的推断与解释

文章对内蒙古四子王旗—土默特右旗中北部近年发现的翁公敖包航磁异常进行推断与解释,在对找矿有望的航磁异常进行筛选后,对翁公敖包航磁异常进行了野外地质-地球物理查证,确定异常为铁矿所致;采用向上延拓、垂向导数、斜导数及小波变换等方法对航磁异常进行数据转换处理,以获取铁矿体的横向及纵向分布信息,取得了较好的效果。     

Ba同位素揭示上地幔中广泛存在再循环的沉积物

正Ba同位素由于具有在低温环境中分馏的特性,相比放射性同位素与微量元素,可以更好地示踪地球深部动力学过程中的再循环物质。研究表明沉积物与蚀变洋壳具有明显不同的Ba同位素组成(沉积物富集来自重晶石的Ba),使得Ba同位素成为研究表层与地幔储库间物质交换的有力工具。最近美国伍兹霍尔海洋研究所报道了来自全球洋中脊的21个MORB样品的Ba、Sr、Nd同位素和微量元素组成以及两个钻井中沉积物和蚀变洋壳     

Flood-prone area mapping using machine learning techniques: a case study of Quang Binh province,Vietnam

Natural Hazards - Vietnam’s central coastal region is the most vulnerable and always at flood risk, severely affecting people’s livelihoods and socio-economic development. In...     

硬土软岩滑坡近水平滑移的离心机模型试验研究

中国西北地区存在大量的新近纪硬土软岩滑坡灾害,为研究该类滑坡的变形特征,开展两组离心机模型试验模拟滑带劣化引起滑坡变形破坏的全过程,获取模型坡体土压及位移的实时变化曲线。研究表明,当软弱带强度降低时,硬土软岩滑坡的上部滑体呈块体状滑动,在快速运动滑动过程中,滑体呈现块状平移,不会彻底解体、液化;硬土软岩滑坡中前部出现水平应力集中,导致下伏滑带塑性流动变形,诱发其中前部上覆滑体的水平运动,并向滑坡后缘扩展,最终形成多级水平滑动。