The responses of hydrological processes and sediment yield to land‐use and climate change in the Be River Catchment,Vietnam

In this study, we investigated the responses of hydrology and sediment yield with impacts of land‐use and climate change scenarios in the Be River Catchment, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model. The calibration and validation results indicated that the SWAT model is a powerful tool for simulating the impact of environmental change on hydrology and sediment yield in this catchment. The hydrologic and sediment yield responses to land‐use and climate changes were simulated based on the calibrated model. The results indicated that a 16.3% decrease in forest land is likely to increase streamflow (0.2 to 0.4%), sediment load (1.8 to 3.0%), and surface runoff (SURQ) (4.8 to 10.7%) and to decrease groundwater discharge (GW_Q) (3.5 to 7.9%). Climate change in the catchment leads to decreases in streamflow (0.7 to 6.9%) and GW_Q (3.0 to 8.4%), increase in evapotranspiration (0.5 to 2.9%), and changes in SURQ (?5.3 to 2.3%) and sediment load (?5.3 to 4.4%). The combined impacts of land‐use and climate changes decrease streamflow (2.0 to 3.9%) and GW_Q (12.3 to 14.0%), increase evapotranspiration (0.7 to 2.8%), SURQ (8.2 to 12.4%), and sediment load (2.0 to 7.9%). In general, the separate impacts of climate and land‐use changes on streamflow, sediment load, and water balance components are offset each other. However, SURQ and some component of subsurface flow are more sensitive to land‐use change than to climate change. Furthermore, the results emphasized water scarcity during the dry season and increased soil erosion during the wet season. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sedimentation in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta,Vietnam Part II: deposition and erosion

Deposition and erosion play a key role in the determination of the sediment budget of a river basin, as well as for floodplain sedimentation. Floodplain sedimentation, in turn, is a relevant factor for the design of flood protection measures, productivity of agro‐ecosystems, and for ecological rehabilitation plans. In the Mekong Delta, erosion and deposition are important factors for geomorphological processes like the compensation of deltaic subsidence as well as for agricultural productivity. Floodplain deposition is also counteracting the increasing climate change induced hazard by sea level rise in the delta. Despite this importance, a sediment database of the Mekong Delta is lacking, and the knowledge about erosion and deposition processes is limited. In the Vietnamese part of the Delta, the annually flooded natural floodplains have been replaced by a dense system of channels, dikes, paddy fields, and aquaculture ponds, resulting in floodplain compartments protected by ring dikes. The agricultural productivity depends on the sediment and associated nutrient input to the floodplains by the annual floods. However, no quantitative information regarding their sediment trapping efficiency has been reported yet. The present study investigates deposition and erosion based on intensive field measurements in three consecutive years (2008, 2009, and 2010). Optical backscatter sensors are used in combination with sediment traps for interpreting deposition and erosion processes in different locations. In our study area, the mean calculated deposition rate is 6.86 kg/m² (≈ 6 mm/year). The key parameters for calculating erosion and deposition are estimated, i.e. the critical bed shear stress for deposition and erosion and the surface constant erosion rate. The bulk of the floodplain sediment deposition is found to occur during the initial stage of floodplain inundation. This finding has direct implications on the operation of sluice gates in order to optimize sediment input and distribution in the floodplains. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional numerical modelling of the behaviour of a pile subjected to cyclic lateral loading

This paper presents a finite element simulation of the behaviour of a vertical pile subjected to a cyclic lateral loading. First, the choice of a suitable constitutive model is discussed. The analytical solution of the model equations for a monotonic triaxial compression is given, and the model is compared with monotonic and cyclic triaxial tests on dry Fontainebleau sand. Simulations of tests carried out on a model pile with the geotechnical centrifuge of the French Public Works Research Laboratory (LCPC) were then performed with the model parameters derived from the triaxial tests. Results are in good agreement with experiments.     

From discrete to continuum modelling of boundary value problems in geomechanics: An integrated FEM-DEM approach

Double-scale numerical methods constitute an effective tool for simultaneously representing the complex nature of geomaterials and treating real-scale engineering problems such as a tunnel excavation or a pressuremetre at a reasonable numerical cost. This paper presents an approach coupling discrete elements (DEM) at the microscale with finite elements (FEM) at the macroscale. In this approach, a DEM-based numerical constitutive law is embedded into a standard FEM formulation. In this regard, an exhaustive discussion is presented on how a 2D/3D granular assembly can be used to generate, step by step along the overall computation process, a consistent Numerically Homogenised Law. The paper also focuses on some recent developments including a comprehensive discussion of the efficiency of Newton-like operators, the introduction of a regularisation technique at the macroscale by means of a second gradient framework, and the development of parallelisation techniques to alleviate the computational cost of the proposed approach. Some real-scale problems taking into account the material spatial variability are illustrated, proving the numerical efficiency of the proposed approach and the benefit of a particle-based strategy.     

Theoretical and numerical study of the steady‐state flow through finite fractured porous media

This paper investigates the two‐dimensional flow problem through an anisotropic porous medium containing several intersecting curved fractures. First, the governing equations of steady‐state fluid flow in a fractured porous body are summarized. The flow follows Darcy's law in matrix and Poiseuille's law in fractures. An infinite transversal permeability is considered for the fractures. A multi‐region boundary element method is used to derive a general pressure solution as a function of discharge through the fractures and the pressure and the normal flux on the domain boundary. The obtained solution fully accounts for the interaction and the intersection between fractures. A numerical procedure based on collocation method is presented to compute the unknowns on the boundaries and on the fractures. The numerical solution is validated by comparing with finite element solution or the results obtained for an infinite matrix. Pressure fields in the matrix are illustrated for domains containing several interconnected fractures, and mass balance at the intersection points is also checked. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sources and Exchange of Particulate Organic Matter in an Estuarine Mangrove Ecosystem of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam

The spatio-temporal variations in stable isotope signatures (??¹³C and ??¹⁵N) and C/N ratios of particulate organic matter (POM), and physicochemical parameters in a creek water column were examined in an estuarine mangrove ecosystem of Xuan Thuy National Park, Vietnam. The objective was to examine the factors influencing creek water properties, and the sources and exchange of POM in this important mangrove ecosystem. The diel and seasonal variations in water temperature, flow velocity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity demonstrated that tidal level, season, and biological factors affected the creek water properties. Mangroves had relatively low ??¹⁵N and very low ??¹³C values, with respective average values of 1.5?±?0.9?? and ?28.1?±?1.4??. The low mangrove leaf ??¹⁵N indicated minor anthropogenic nitrogen loading to the mangrove forests. A significant positive correlation between POM?C??¹³C and salinity along the axis of Ba Lat Estuary, Red River, indicated that marine phytoplankton (??¹³C value, ?21.4?±?0.5??) was the predominant source of POM at the estuary mouth. Based on the co-variation of ??¹³C and C/N ratios, marine phytoplankton and mangrove detritus were predominant in POM of major creeks and small creeks, respectively. During the diurnal tidal cycle, the dynamics of POM were affected by sources of organic matter, tidal energy, and seasonal factors. The contribution of mangrove detritus to POM reached a maximum at the low tide and was enhanced during the rainy season, whereas marine phytoplankton contribution was highest at high tide.     

Soil porosity resulting from the assemblage of silt grains with a clay phase: New perspectives related to utilization of X-ray synchrotron computed microtomography

Understanding the assemblage of basic grains is essential for predicting many soil properties. X-ray synchrotron microtomography with a high resolution was used for visualisation and quantification of the assemblage of silt grains with a clay phase containing 20% of clays. The 3D computed image was analysed after appropriate segmentation by using: (i) autocorrelation functions which enables anisotropy discussion of the assemblage; (ii) chord distribution which gives information on the size distribution of the void and solid phases; and (iii) the Hoshen-Kopelman algorithm (6-connectivity) in order to label each void with a unique number and thus enabling discussion of the connectivity. Our results show that X-ray synchrotron microtomography enables a more accurate analysis of the assemblage of silt grains with a clay phase than with conventional methods. Thus, it showed the isotropy of the silt-clay assemblage in the studied soil material. The void and solid phase volumes were smaller than 80 and 120 μm in all directions, respectively. The mean distance between two interfaces was 6.9 and 13.4 μm for the void and solid phase, respectively. X-ray synchrotron microtomography of the soil material studied also showed that the voids resulting from the assemblage of the silt grains with the clay phase can be considered as fully connected in the studied dried materials.     

渐缩渐扩洞塞消能和空化特性

建立了三维RNG k-ε紊流数学模型和突缩突扩洞塞泄流的物理模型试验,利用实验结果对数学模型进行了验证,利用验证后的数学模型对突缩突扩洞塞和渐缩渐扩洞塞的水头损失系数和空化数进行了计算。结果表明,洞塞渐缩(或渐扩)段相对长度一定时,随着渐扩(或渐缩)段相对长度的增加,水头损失系数减小,最小空化数增加。当渐缩段和渐扩段几何尺寸互换时,水头损失系数和最小空化数的变化不大;其他几何参数一定的情况下,随着横断面半径收缩比的减小,水头损失系数增加,最小空化数降低。圆弧连接情况下,随着圆弧夹角的增加,水头损失系数呈现先降低后增加的趋势;而最小空化数呈现先增加后降低的趋势。其他几何参数一定的情况下,圆弧连接的水头损失系数小于斜线连接的对应值,最小空化数则相反。在水头损失系数和最小空化数权重相等的假定条件下,初步探讨了渐缩渐扩洞塞几何体型参数的优化方法,给出了渐缩渐扩洞塞的最优几何体型参数。