Accumulation and risk of heavy metals in relation to agricultural intensification in the river sediments of agricultural regions

The enrichment characteristics and risk of heavy metals were studied in the sediments of Liucha River in Chao Lake Valley, where agricultural intensification has developed rapidly since the 1980s. The results revealed that Cd, Pb and Zn showed the lowest levels in the upper reaches and peak values in the lower reaches, increasing from 0.064, 7.75 and 59.75 mg/kg to 0.176, 12.33 and 96.82 mg/kg on average, respectively. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis showed that the EF values of Cd, Pb and Zn (maximum 4.76, 2.51 and 2.74, respectively) all increased from the upper reaches to the lower reaches (>1.5), while correlation analysis and cluster analysis showed that they primarily originated from the extensive use of phosphate fertilizer. In addition, the comprehensive potential ecological risk due to Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the sediments showed low degree, but Cd showed moderate and high risk at some sites. Therefore, heavy metal pollution due to agricultural intensification in the agricultural regions of Chao Lake Valley should be given great attention during management of the water environment.     

Experimental research on expansion characteristics of Mengzi expansive soil with water,salt and acid immersion

Swelling tests of Mengzi remolded expansive soil inundated with different types of wetting fluids (distilled water, saline water and acidic water) were carried out using advanced consolidometer. Swelling characteristics of expansive soil under different initial conditions were studied. The dose–response model was used to fit the rules of swelling time interval for expansive soil with water immersion. The quantitative relationships between the swelling deformation and initial conditions (initial water content, initial dry density and overburden pressure) were attained using 3D regression analyses. The differences in deformation rules of expansive soil with water immersion in each region are bigger for the differences of genetic types, mineral compositions, chemical characteristics of soils and sample preparation techniques and instrument error. The expansion deformation rules of soil immersed in salt and acid solution are the same as the rules of soaked soil. The important indices obtained can be provided to the engineering design, construction and stability evaluation of expansive soil slopes.     

Past atmospheric trace metal deposition in a remote lake (Lake Ngoring) at the headwater areas of Yellow River,Tibetan Plateau

A complete record derived from a core dated both by ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs chronologies from Lake Ngoring at the headwater areas of the Yellow River provides new insight into the changing atmospheric deposition of trace metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. This study showed that there was an inflection in the early 1960s, before which both fluxes and contents of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn remained relatively steady or slowly increased, and thereafter continued increases both in fluxes and contents were found. Taking Pb as an example, the flux increased from 0.13 (before 1960) to 0.25 mg m^?2 a^?1 (averaged 1963–2006). According to atmospheric flux calculations using Al as a reference element, atmospheric fluxes of trace metals generally showed a rapid increase and peaked in recent years, closely following the historical economic development of the neighboring region, mainly for Qinghai and Gansu provinces. The atmospheric inventory for Zn was the highest, reaching 1.068 g m^?2, while the lowest was for Cd, at only 0.079 gm^?2. The percentage proportions of atmospheric deposition for Cd, Ni, and Zn were 37, 12, and 8.7 %, respectively. Hence, the atmospheric contribution to the trace metal content via long range transport is not negligible when considering input of materials to lake ecosystems.     

Reservoir characteristics and main controlling factors of oil sand in Houba area,northwestern Sichuan Basin,China

Houba oil sand in frontier Longmenshan Mountain is one of the most typically important unconventional resources. The basic reservoir characteristics of oil sand and the main factors affecting reservoir quality were examined in this article based on porosity, permeability, and mercury porosimetry measurements; thin section analyses; SEM observation; and X-ray diffraction analysis. This study shows that the oil-bearing sandstone reservoir is mainly medium?coarse-grained sublitharenite and litharenite. The main pore type is intergranular pores, including residual primary intergranular pores, dissolved intergranular pores, and dissolved intragranular pores; fractures are common in this study area. The quality of sandstone reservoir is of high porosity and high permeability with a high oil saturation of 89.84 %. It is indicated that the main controlling factors of the reservoir in the study area include deposition, diagenesis, and tectonism. Deposition laid a foundation to porosity evolution, and channel sand is the most favorable depositional facies for the reservoir. Diagenetic alterations are the keys to reservoir evolution; dissolution and chlorite coatings cementation play an effective role in the generation and preservation of pores. Compaction, carbonate cementation, and quartz overgrowth cause many damages to the reservoir porosity. Fractures caused by structural breakages can improve the reservoir permeability and they also can provide fluid migration pathways to the late corrosion, which formed a lot of corroded fissures as reservoir and percolation spaces.     

The Dynamic Evaluation of Rock Slope Stability Considering the Effects of Microseismic Damage

A state-of-the-art microseismic monitoring system has been implemented at the left bank slope of the Jinping first stage hydropower station since June 2009. The main objectives are to ensure slope safety under continuous excavation at the left slope, and, very recently, the safety of the concrete arch dam. The safety of the excavated slope is investigated through the development of fast and accurate real-time event location techniques aimed at assessing the evolution and migration of the seismic activity, as well as through the development of prediction capabilities for rock slope instability. Myriads of seismic events at the slope have been recorded by the microseismic monitoring system. Regions of damaged rock mass have been identified and delineated on the basis of the tempo-spatial distribution analysis of microseismic activity during the periods of excavation and consolidation grouting. However, how to effectively utilize the abundant microseismic data in order to quantify the stability of the slope remains a challenge. In this paper, a rock mass damage evolutional model based on microseismic data is proposed, combined with a 3D finite element method (FEM) model for feedback analysis of the left bank slope stability. The model elements with microseismic damage are interrogated and the deteriorated mechanical parameters determined accordingly. The relationship between microseismic activities induced by rock mass damage during slope instability, strength degradation, and dynamic instability of the slope are explored, and the slope stability is quantitatively evaluated. The results indicate that a constitutive relation considering microseismic damage is concordant with the simulation results and the influence of rock mass damage can be allowed for its feedback analysis of 3D slope stability. In addition, the safety coefficient of the rock slope considering microseismic damage is reduced by a value of 0.11, in comparison to the virgin rock slope model. Our results demonstrate that microseismic activity induced by construction disturbance only slightly affects the stability of the slope. The proposed feedback analysis technique provides a novel method for dynamically assessing rock slope stability and can be used to assess the slope stability of other similar rock slopes.     

Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigations of the Failure Mechanism of a Rock Disc with a Central or Eccentric Hole

The diametrical compression of a circular disc (Brazilian test) or cylinder with a small eccentric hole is a simple but important test to determine the tensile strength of rocks. This paper studies the failure mechanism of circular disc with an eccentric hole by a 3D numerical model (RFPA3D). A feature of the code RFPA3D is that it can numerically simulate the evolution of cracks in three-dimensional space, as well as the heterogeneity of the rock mass. First, numerically simulated Brazilian tests are compared with experimental results. Special attention is given to the effect of the thickness to radius ratio on the failure modes and the peak stress of specimens. The effects of the compressive strength to tensile strength ratio (C/T), the loading arc angle (2α), and the homogeneity index (m) are also studied in the numerical simulations. Secondly, the failure process of a rock disc with a central hole is studied. The effects of the ratio of the internal hole radius (r) to the radius of the rock disc (R) on the failure mode and the peak stress are investigated. Thirdly, the influence of the vertical and horizontal eccentricity of an internal hole on the initiation and propagation of cracks inside a specimen are simulated. The effect of the radius of the eccentric hole and the homogeneity index (m) are also investigated.     

Rainfall-triggering response patterns of post-seismic debris flows in the Wenchuan earthquake area

Several giant debris flows occurred in southwestern China after the Wenchuan earthquake, causing serious casualties and economic losses. Debris flows were frequently triggered after the earthquake. A relatively accurate prediction of these post-seismic debris flows can help to reduce the consequent damages. Existing debris flow prediction is almost based on the study of the relationship between post-earthquake debris flows and rainfall. The relationship between the occurrence of post-seismic debris flows and characteristic rainfall patterns was studied in this paper. Fourteen rainfall events related to debris flows that occurred in four watersheds in the Wenchuan earthquake area were collected. By analyzing the rainfall data, characteristics of rainfall events that triggered debris flows after the earthquake were obtained. Both the critical maximum rainfall intensity and average rainfall intensity increased with the time. To describe the critical conditions for debris flow initiation, intensity–duration curves were constructed, which shows how the threshold for triggering debris flows increased each year. The time that the critical rainfall intensities of debris flow occurrences return to the value prior to the earthquake could not be estimated due to the absent rainfall data before the earthquake. Rainfall-triggering response patterns could be distinguished for rainfall-induced debris flows. The critical rainfall patterns related to debris flows could be divided on the basis of antecedent rainfall duration and intensity into three categories: (1) a rapid triggering response pattern, (2) an intermediate triggering response pattern, and (3) a slow triggering response pattern. The triggering response patterns are closely related to the initiation mechanisms of post-earthquake debris flows. The main difference in initiation mechanisms and difference in triggering patterns by rainfall is regulated by the infiltration process and determined by a number of parameters, such as hydro-mechanical soil characteristics, the thickness of the soil, and the slope gradient. In case of a rapid triggering response rainfall pattern, the hydraulic conductivity and initial moisture content are the main impact factors. Runoff erosion and rapid loading of solid material is the dominant process. In case of a rainfall pattern with a slow triggering response, the thickness and strength of the soil, high hydraulic conductivity, and rainfall intensity are the impact factors. Probably slope failure is the most dominant process initiating debris flows. In case of an intermediate triggering response pattern, both debris flow initiation mechanisms (runoff erosion and slope failure) can play a role.     

中国萤石矿床分类

通过对中国萤石矿床的成矿作用研究,综合考虑萤石矿床的成因类型和工业类型,将中国萤石矿床划分为沉积改造型、热液充填型和伴生型3种矿床类型。在全面分析萤石矿典型矿床的成矿条件、控矿因素和成矿作用的基础上,总结成矿要素,以相同或相似的二级成矿必要要素组合确定沉积改造型、热液充填型萤石矿床的亚类型,沉积改造型进一步划分出2个矿床式,热液充填型划分出5个矿床式,伴生型按伴生主矿种划分出4个矿床式。文章分析了每一个矿床式的成矿地质背景,成矿条件、矿床特征、控矿因素和成矿作用,总结了每一个矿床式的二级成矿必要要素。     

Market risk in carbon market: an empirical analysis of the EUA and sCER

The paper uses a capital asset pricing model to analyze the market risk in the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) and clean development mechanisms (CDM) and Zipf analysis technology to analyze the carbon price volatility in different expectations of returns in the two markets. The results show that the systematic risk of the EU ETS market is around 0.07 %, but the CDM market is clearly divided into two stages; the systematic risk of the futures contracts in the first stage (DEC09–DEC12) is less than the EU ETS market, but the systematic risk of the futures contracts that enter the market is greater than the EU ETS market and has a higher market sensitivity, although on the unsystematic risk. The CDM market is always greater than the EU ETS market. Abnormal returns in the two carbon markets are both lower than 0.02 %, but CDM is higher. The probability of price down is greater than that of price up. The carbon price is affected by market mechanisms and external factors (economic crisis and environmental policies) in the low expectations of returns. However, in the high expectations of returns, compared with the CDM market, the carbon price change in the EU ETS market is less stable and has higher risks.

     

京津冀区域大气霾污染研究意义、现状及展望

频发的霾污染是目前京津冀最严重的环境问题。如何协调区域经济合理快速发展与防止大气环境恶化,已经成为公众关注的焦点,也是各级政府亟待解决的问题之一。对国内外典型大气污染事件的产生及治理历程进行了简要回顾;结合我国当前霾污染问题产生的特殊性,分析了京津冀区域霾污染研究对经济和社会发展、气候和环境变化、人体健康和区域和谐发展的现实意义;阐述了京津冀霾污染现象频发的主要客观要素和内在原因,并分析了当前研究工作中的不足。最后,在全球气候变化的大背景下,推测了京津冀及东亚地区未来大气污染的发展趋势。