The October 13, 2020, deadly rapid landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Phong Dien,Thua Thien Hue,Vietnam

Landslides - At about 12:00 a.m., on October 13, 2020, a rapid rotational landslide induced by rainfall swept over Ranger Station-7 in Phong Xuan commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue...     

Agrochemical and polychlorobyphenyl (PCB) residues in the Mekong River delta, Vietnam

An environmental survey on pesticide residues and polychlorobyphenyl compounds (PCBs), encompassing more than 70 polar and non-polar compounds quantifiable by the techniques used, was performed in the Mekong River delta based on analyses of water, sediment and bivalve mollusc samples. Few polar compounds, such as diazinon and fenotrothion, were detected in water but a high number of non-polar chlorinated compounds, such as DDT, HCH, endosulfan and PCBs, were detected in sediments and biota. The highest concentrations measured were of DDT with an average 6.3 ng g(-1) dry weight (range 0.32-67 ng g(-1)) in sediments and 38.6 ng g(-1) (range 5.5-123 ng g(-1)) in molluscs' soft tissues. Amongst chlorinated compounds, DDT concentrations were followed in decreasing order by those of PCB, endosulfan, hexachlorocyclohexane and chlordane. Residues of organochlorine compounds originate from local usage of agrochemicals although with a likely contribution also of atmospheric deposition of residues (not measured) originated elsewhere. Concentrations of PCB and pesticide residues in the aquatic environment of the Mekong River delta are lower than values reported for other regions of Vietnam and Asia. Nevertheless, current concerns about the effects of chlorinated compounds on public health advise improved control of chemical residue discharges in order to abate environmental contamination.     

Seismic vulnerability mitigation of liquefied gas tanks using concave sliding bearings

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a concave sliding bearing system for the seismic protection of liquefied gas storage tanks through a seismic fragility analysis. An emblematic case study of elevated steel storage tanks, which collapsed during the 1999 ?zmit earthquake at Habas Pharmaceutics plant in Turkey, is studied. Firstly, a fragility analysis is conducted for the examined tank based on a lumped-mass stick model, where the nonlinear shear behaviour of support columns is taken into account by using a phenomenological model. Fragility curves in terms of an efficient intensity measure for different failure modes of structural components demonstrate the inevitable collapse of the tank mainly due to insufficient shear strength of the support columns. A seismic isolation system based on concave sliding bearings, which has been demonstrated a superior solution to seismically protect elevated tanks, is then designed and introduced into the numerical model, accounting for its non-linear behaviour. Finally, a vulnerability analysis for the isolated tank is performed, which proves a high effectiveness of the isolation system in reducing the probability of failure within an expected range of earthquake intensity levels.     

A fractal model for streaming potential coefficient in porous media

Streaming potential is the result of coupling between a fluid flow and an electric current in porous rocks. The modified Helmholtz–Smoluchowski equation derived for capillary tubes is mostly used to determine the streaming potential coefficient of porous media. However, to the best of our knowledge, the fractal geometry theory is not yet applied to analyse the streaming potential in porous media. In this article, a fractal model for the streaming potential coefficient in porous media is developed based on the fractal theory of porous media and on the streaming potential in a capillary. The proposed model is expressed in terms of the zeta potential at the solid?liquid interface, the minimum and maximum pore/capillary radii, the fractal dimension, and the porosity of porous media. The model is also examined by using another capillary size distribution available in published articles. The results obtained from the model using two different capillary size distributions are in good agreement with each other. The model predictions are then compared with experimental data in the literature and those based on the modified Helmholtz–Smoluchowski equation. It is shown that the predictions from the proposed fractal model are in good agreement with experimental data. In addition, the proposed model is able to reproduce the same result as the Helmholtz–Smoluchowski equation, particularly for high fluid conductivity or large grain diameters. Other factors influencing the streaming potential coefficient in porous media are also analysed.     

Distribution and Characteristics of Hazardous Geological Features in the Marine Coastal and Offshore Areas of Zhejiang Province,East China Sea

Newly acquired high-resolution shallow seismic profiles(7069 km in length) in the coastal and offshore areas of Zhejiang Province, East China Sea, China, have revealed eight marine hazardous geological features: shallow gas, sand ridges, erosion ditches, scarps, irregular bedrock features, underwater shoals, buried paleo-channels, and submarine deltas. Based on the seismic profiles, we have constructed a marine geological map of these hazardous features. Shallow gas accumulations are common and occur mainly in two separate nearshore regions that cover 4613 and 3382 km~2 respectively. There are also scattered shallow gas accumulations in the offshore area, typically accompanied by paleo-channels that occur mainly in the middle of the study area. Sand ridges, erosion ditches, scarps, and irregular bedrock features are found mainly in the northeast of the study area in association with each other. In the southeastern part of the study area, the sand ridges have a linear form and trend NW–SE, representing the western part of the linear sand ridges in the East China Sea. The maximum slope gradient is 1?, which suggests that this area is prone to landslides. These hazardous marine geological features are important to marine and engineering activities in this region.     

The Early Triassic Indosinian orogeny in Vietnam (Truong Son Belt and Kontum Massif); implications for the geodynamic evolution of Indochina

New structural field data at various scale and ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar geochronological results, from the basement rocks in the Truong Son belt and Kontum Massif of Vietnam, confirm that ductile deformation and high-temperature metamorphism were caused by the Early Triassic event of the Indosinian Orogeny in the range of 250–240 Ma. A compilation of isotopic data obtained in other countries along the Sibumasu–Indochina boundary broadly indicates same interval of ages. This tectonothermal event is interpreted as the result of a synchronous oblique collision of Indochina with both Sibumasu and South China, inducing dextral and sinistral shearing along E–W to NW–SE and N–S fault zones, respectively. The collision along Song Ma follows the northwards subduction of Indochina beneath South China and the subsequent development of the Song Da zone which in turn was affected by the Late Triassic Indosinian phase of shortening. Within the Indochina plate, internal collisions occurred coevally in the Early Triassic, as along the Poko suture, at the western border of the Kontum Massif.     

华南、巽他和掸邦地块之间边界断裂的上新世—第四纪大规模构造反转

印度- 亚洲碰撞后，大陆板块沿着大型的左行走滑断裂挤出。规模最大的哀牢山- 红河剪切带(ASRR)将印支地块(巽他地块)与华南地块分隔开来。长约1000 km的红河活动断裂(RRF)沿哀牢山的北侧延伸，目前呈现出右行走滑兼正断的活动性质。本文在讨论了红河断裂系及其周缘的第三纪和现今变形特征(滑移性质反转、渐新世/第四纪位错、全新世滑动速率、GPS测量、地震机制等)基础之上，重点论述了其在上新世—第四纪从云南东南部到越南西北部、北部湾西部、再到更南的沙巴地区的断裂分布和运动学特征。新的数据证实，跨过三联点和越南西北部的奠边府断层之后，华南地块与巽他地块之间的现今大部分右行走滑主要沿着Da River断裂向Day Nui Con Voi(或称大象山)东南方向延伸。Da River断裂与RRF大致平行，是2020年M w 5. 0莫州地震的发震断层。进一步研究表明，Da River断裂很可能沿着渐新世—中新世莺歌海/宋红盆地西缘和越南东南海岸(归仁剪切带)向南延伸得更远，至少延伸到“Ile des Cendres”火山群，并可能继续延伸到沙巴- 文莱逆冲带的西端，靠近婆罗洲北部的近海活动边缘。最后，我们讨论了在菲律宾群岛、台湾岛和巽他群岛之间南海大部分地区大规模构造反转的运动学效应。     

Using stable isotopes to estimate young water fractions in a heavily regulated,tropical lowland river basin

The young water fraction of streamflow (Fyw), an important hydrological variable, has been calculated for the first time, for a monsoon-fed coastal catchment in northern Vietnam. Oxygen stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O) from six river sites in the Day River Basin (DRB) were analysed monthly, between January 2015 and December 2018. River δ¹⁸O signatures showed sine wave variability, reflecting the amount effect and tropical (dry-rainy) seasonality of the region. The δ¹⁸O composition of precipitation ranged from −12.67 to +1.68‰, with a mean value of −5.14‰, and in-streamflow signatures ranged from −11.63 to −1.37‰ with a mean of −5.02‰. Fractions of young water (Fyw) were calculated from the unweighted and flow-weighted δ¹⁸O composition of samples. Unweighted Fyw ranged between 29 ± 8% and 82 ± 21% with a mean value of 51 ± 19%, and was not significantly different from flow-weighted Fyw (range between 33 ± 25% and 92 ± 73%, mean 52 ± 36%). Both unweighted and flow-weighted Fyw were highest in the middle of stream and lowest in downstream sites, capturing the impacts of landuse changes, hydrology and human activities in the catchment. Our calculations imply that more than a half of rainwater reaches the DRB river mainstream within the first 3 months. The Fyw is much higher than the global average (of one-third) and insensitive to discharge due to the combination of a humid catchment with high rainfall, low storage capacity, flat landscape and an intensive drainage system in the DRB. Also the low discharge sensitivity of Fyw in the DRB implies that the regional hydrology is severely altered by humans.     

Impacts of the plane strain ratio on excavations in soft alluvium deposits

Acta Geotechnica - Due to tool, time and budget limitations, 2-dimensional analyses of deep excavation are often adopted for engineering practice; thus, the 3-dimensional behaviour is ignored....