Surface characterization of maize-straw-derived biochars and their sorption performance for MTBE and benzene

Biochars generated at various temperatures might show significant differences in sorption for organic contaminants. In this study, a series of biochars, generated from pyrolyzing maize straws at different temperatures, were systematically characterized. The characterization results showed that with increasing pyrolysis temperature, the surface areas, micropore areas and aromaticity of biochars were enhanced. Batch experiments were conducted to study methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and benzene sorption to biochars. The results indicated that the sorption capacity of benzene to biochars was higher than that of MTBE. The higher pyrolyzed temperature of biochars resulted in a stronger sorption affinity for target compounds, and the dominant sorption mechanisms varied for biochars pyrolyzed at different temperatures. The sorption to biochars pyrolyzed at 700 and 800 °C performed a high adsorption capacity, which indicated that they might be a promising sorbent to remove MTBE and benzene from water. Biochar pyrolyzed at 400 °C showed transitional sorption mechanisms from partition to adsorption for MTBE and benzene. Pore-filling was a possible sorption mechanism to biochars pyrolyzed at high temperature.     

Atomistic simulation of the mechanisms of noble gas incorporation in minerals

Atomistic simulations have been carried out to investigate the mechanisms of noble gas incorporation in minerals using both the traditional two-region approach and the “supercell” method. The traditional two-region approach has been used to calculate defect energies for Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe incorporation in MgO, CaO, diopside and forsterite in the static limit and at one atmosphere pressure. The possibilities of noble gas incorporation via both substitution and interstitial mechanisms are studied. The favored mechanism varies from mineral to mineral and from noble gas to noble gas. In all minerals studied, the variation of the solution energies of noble gas substitution with atomic radius appears approximately parabolic, analogous to those for 1⁺, 2⁺, 3⁺ and 4⁺ trace element incorporation on crystal lattice sites. Noble gas solution energies thus also fall on a curve, similar to those previously observed for cations with different charges, but with much lower curvature.The “supercell” method has been used to investigate the pressure dependence of noble gas incorporation in the same systems. Results indicate a large variation of the solubility of the larger noble gases, Kr and Xe with pressure. In addition, explicit simulation of incorporation at the (0 0 1) surface of MgO shows that the solubility of the heavier noble gases may be considerably enhanced by the presence of interfaces.     

JRC修正直边法的数学表达

JRC是反映爬坡角力学效应的岩体结构面表面形态等效描述指标。本文在爬坡角力学效应机理研究基础上, 阐述了JRC直边法的物理意义；通过岩体结构面表面起伏幅度与金属表面粗糙度幅度对比分析, 肯定了直边法的合理性；考虑JRC的尺寸效应, 推导JRC修正直边法的数学表达式, 编译计算机常用程序。最后, 实例检验了JRC修正直边法数学表达式的合理性和可用性。     

沉降量约束下的黄骅裂谷形成的地球的动力学模式

在计算覆盖整个黄晔裂谷２００口人工井（包括少部分探井）沉降量的基础上，总结本区二种基本沉降曲线模式。统计出热沉降（Ｓｔ）与初始沉降（Ｓｉ）之比为０．６，依此为约束条件与大陆岩石圈伸展的地球动力学正演模式进行对比，与简单剪切模式预测的热沉降与初始沉降之比值及几何效应更接近。进一步证实黄骅裂谷以简单剪切机制形成的地球动力学模式更合理，这与著名的以纯剪模式形成的北海伸展盆地不同     

Spatio-temporal analysis of recent groundwater-level trends in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

A groundwater-monitoring network has been in operation in the Red River Delta, Vietnam, since 1995. Trends in groundwater level (1995?C2009) in 57 wells in the Holocene unconfined aquifer and 63 wells in the Pleistocene confined aquifer were determined by applying the non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen??s slope estimator. At each well, 17 time series (e.g. annual, seasonal, monthly), computed from the original data, were analyzed. Analysis of the annual groundwater-level means revealed that 35?% of the wells in the unconfined aquifer showed downward trends, while about 21?% showed upward trends. On the other hand, confined-aquifer groundwater levels experienced downward trends in almost all locations. Spatial distributions of trends indicated that the strongly declining trends (>0.3?m/year) were mainly found in urban areas around Hanoi where there is intensive abstraction of groundwater. Although the trend results for most of the 17 time series at a given well were quite similar, different trend patterns were detected in several. The findings reflect unsustainable groundwater development and the importance of maintaining groundwater monitoring and a database in the Delta, particularly in urban areas.     

Multiple overpressure systems and their relationship with hydrocarbon accumulation in the Qikou Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin,China

Pressure measurements using drill stem tests and estimates from log data calculation indicate that three vertically stacked regional pressure compartments exist in the Qikou Depression of Bohai Bay Basin, N. China. The compartments comprise hydrostatic, upper weak, and lower overpressure systems. Laterally, overpressure (pressure coefficient > 1.2) occurs in the deeper areas and weakens gradually from the centre to the margin of the depression. The accumulation of oil and gas exhibits the interesting characteristics of oil‐bearing layers above gas‐bearing layers in the Qikou Depression. The pattern can be accounted for by the evolution of overpressure system, the maturity process of the source rock and the main fault activity. In the late Dongying Formation (Ed, 30 Ma), the lower overpressure system began to form shape, and the hydrocarbon sources generated a large volume of oil. However, because there was no migration pathway, the oil only accumulated in the original strata. In the late Guantao Formation (Ng, 12 Ma), the gas was generated, the upper overpressure system formed gradually, and the activity of the main fault gradually increased. Then, the overpressure pushed the early gathered oil to flow from the lower overpressure system into the upper overpressure system. Afterwards, the activity of the main fault decreased again and remains weak until now. Thus, later generated natural gas cannot keep migrating along the main fault and can only accumulate in the lower overpressure system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

蓝藻聚铁作用的模拟实验

实验模拟前寒武纪大气的高二氧化碳分压(P_CO2),低氧浓度条件下,加入较低浓度(6μg/g)铁的Zarronk培养液培养蓝藻Spirulina platensis,观察铁的沉淀与凝聚。藻在生长过程中不断改变环境的离子平衡系统以及pH,Eh等,造成铁的氧化、还原、络合和Fe³⁺沉淀。实验组与未加蓝藻的对照组有显著差别。实验证实藻在聚铁和铁矿形成中起重要作用。     

Non-coaxiality of soft clay generated by principal stress rotation under high-speed train loading

Plenty of geomechanics tests and theories have confirmed the existence of non-coaxiality while soil is subjected to principal stress rotation. This paper investigated the influence of one particular principal stress path, which is a ‘heart-shape’ stress path that is normally induced by high-speed train loading, on the non-coaxiality of reconstituted soft clay. Hollow cylinder apparatus was employed to carry out series of undrained dynamic tests. The goals of this study were to (1) reveal the essential factors of complex cyclic loading paths that influence non-coaxiality in clayey soil and (2) quantify the influence of the factors on variation in non-coaxiality under the high-speed training loading. To analyze the non-coaxiality under high-speed train loading, (a) the pure rotation stress path was utilized as comparison for underling the different influence that ‘heart-shape’ stress path has from other conventional cyclic stress paths. (b) Two variables, dynamic stress ratio and tension–compression amplitude ratio, were introduced in analyzing the evolution of the non-coaxial angle. (c) Based on the test results, equations for describing the revolution of non-coaxiality were proposed which can help to describe the variation in non-coaxial angle under complex loadings quantitatively and understand the influence of the major factors of the stress path intensively.

     

Data Mining for Landslide Genetic Mechanism Analysis in the Yunnan Province of China

Landslide susceptibility analysis based on the strong ability of data mining of Geographic Information System (GIS) has become a hot topic in international landslide research. This paper used optimized decision tree and GIS databases to analyze the sensitivity in the northwest mountain areas of Yunnan province of China, and then discussed the formation mechanism of the landslide happened in the area. The translational landslide located in the area with an average gradient less than or equal to 28.7° was reclassified as a higher level 3 sensitive area than before according to the normalized different fault index (NDFI). The results showed that the data mining based on GIS 3D space–time information database can help to find the unique topography, geology hydrology and the other typical spatial information of some special typed of landslides such as translational landslides, thus it can illustrate the relationship between the landslides and their sensitivity factors. The improved landslide susceptibility analysis will provide a new method for identifying the genetic mechanism of landslide, and play an important role in the government regional planning and disaster prevention measures.