南极半岛东北部海域表层沉积物稀土元素特征及物源指示意义

通过对南极半岛东北部海域36个表层沉积物样品的稀土元素分析发现:(1)研究区表层沉积物中稀土元素总量(REE)的分布范围为(45.47~183.60)×10-6,平均值为91.36×10-6;稀土元素含量的高低与铝硅酸盐黏土成正比,与生物硅含量成反比;(2)大致以象岛至南极半岛北部的茹安维尔岛为界,研究区西部的布兰斯菲尔德海峡及南设得兰群岛北部岛架-岛坡沉积物稀土含量较低,稀土元素页岩标准化模式与长城站周边土壤/湖泊沉积物、火山岩相一致,表现为重稀土相对富集,铕正异常明显,Sm/Nd分子比值大,推断该区沉积物主要来源于南设德兰群岛中-新生代火山岩分布区与现代火山活动区;(3)研究区东部鲍威尔海盆、南奥克尼群岛岛架和南斯科舍海脊区沉积物稀土元素的页岩标准化配分模式表现为平坦型,轻稀土明显抬升,铕正异常不显著,Sm/Nd分子比值小,稀土元素含量受沉积物中黏土组分含量、硅质生物组分等制约,推断沉积物陆源碎屑主要来源于威德尔海西部和南部,局部受南奥尼克群岛、南斯科舍海脊和南设德兰群岛物质的影响,沉积物的搬运主要受冰筏和海流制约。     

加拿大海盆北部营养盐限制作用研究

利用2008年夏季中国第三次北极科学考察获得的营养盐、叶绿素a、温度和盐度等数据资料,结合现场营养盐添加实验的结果讨论西北冰洋加拿大海盆北部营养盐对浮游植物生长的限制作用。结果表明:由于融冰水稀释作用,加拿大海盆B80站约20m深度存在较强的盐跃层,阻碍了水体上下混合。较低浓度的溶解无机氮(DIN)和硅酸盐(分别为0.31μmol/L和0.94μmol/L)以及严重偏离Redfield比值的N/P、N/Si比值(分别为0.42和0.32)表明加拿大海盆表层水体存在N和Si限制。根据现场营养盐加富实验各培养组叶绿素a浓度变化、营养盐吸收总量差异和浮游植物种群结构,进一步表明氮是北冰洋海盆首要限制营养盐,而Si则抑制了硅质生物的生长。同时,较小的硝酸盐半饱和常数(Ks)证明即使在营养盐充足的情况下北冰洋海盆浮游植物生长速率也处于较低水平。计算得到各培养组营养盐吸收比例(N/P比值)均大于Redfield比值,可能是培养实验过程中以微型、微微型浮游植物为主,硅藻等小型浮游植物为辅造成的。     

南海西北部沉积物捕获器中颗石藻通量和属种组成变化记录

本文利用沉积物捕获器回收的连续时间序列沉降颗粒物样品,研究了南海西北部海南岸外陆坡外缘海域颗石藻的通量和属种组成变化及其环境意义。研究发现,东亚夏季风引起的海南岸外上升流以及冬季风导致的混合层深度增加都会刺激该区域颗石藻的生长,其中夏季上升流的影响尤为显著。从颗石粒属种组成来看,Florisphaera profunda是南海西北部中深层(1 000m)水体中主要的颗石粒优势种,此外Emiliania huxleyi,Gephyrocapsa oceanica和Gephyrocaps ericsonii等属种含量也颇高。然而在将颗石粒折算成颗石球数量后,Emiliania huxleyi则成为主要优势种。沉积物捕获器中F.profunda的相对百分含量与颗石粒总通量呈显著的负相关,表明F.profunda的相对含量与总的颗石藻生产力有着密切联系。本结果对于利用沉积物中的颗石藻记录,尤其是F.profunda相对含量变化,恢复和重建古海洋环境尤其是古海洋生产力的研究提供了直接的理论证据。     

Solar-, monsoon- and Kuroshio-influenced thermocline depth and sea surface salinity in the southern Okinawa Trough during the past 17,300 years

Factors influencing millennial-scale variability in the thermocline depth (vertical mixing) and sea surface salinity (SSS) of the southern Okinawa Trough (OT) during the past 17,300 years were investigated based on foraminifer oxygen isotope records of the surface dweller Globigerinoides ruber sensu stricto and the thermocline dweller Pulleniatina obliquiloculata in the AMS ¹⁴C dated OKT-3 core. The thermocline depth is influenced by surface thermal buoyancy (heat) flux, in turn controlled by the annual mean insolation at 30°N and the strength of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). Strong insolation and weak EAWM tend to increase buoyancy gain (decrease buoyancy loss), corresponding to shallow thermocline depths, and vice versa. Regional SSS is influenced by the global ice volume, the Kuroshio Current (KC), and vertical mixing. A deep thermocline coincides with a high SSS because strong vertical mixing brings more, saltier subsurface KC water to the surface, and vice versa. Local SSS (excluding the global ice volume effect) became lower in the northern OT than in the southern OT after ~9.2 ka, implying that Changjiang diluted water had stronger influence in the northern sector. SSS show no major changes during the Bølling/Allerød and Younger Dryas events, probably because the KC disturbed the North Atlantic signals. This argues against earlier interpretations of sea surface temperature records of this core. Wavelet and spectral analyses of the Δδ¹⁸O_P-G (δ¹⁸O of P. obliquiloculata minus G. ruber s.s.) and δ¹⁸O_local records display 1,540-, 1,480-, 1,050-, 860-, 640-, and 630-year periods. These are consistent with published evidence of a pervasive periodicity of 1,500 years in global climate as well as EAWM and KC signatures, and a fundamental solar periodicity of 1,000 years and intermediary derived periodicity of 700 years.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">H-M</Emphasis> bearing capacity of a modified suction caisson determined by using load-/displacement-controlled methods

This paper presents a series of monotonically combined lateral loading tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the MSCs (modified suction caissons) in the saturated marine fine sand. The lateral loads were applied under load- and displacement-controlled methods at the loading eccentricity ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5. Results show that, in the displacement-controlled test, the deflection-softening behavior of load-deflection curves for MSCs was observed, and the softening degree of the load-deflection response increased with the increasing external skirt length or the decreasing loading eccentricity. It was also found that the rotation center of the MSC at failure determined by the load-controlled method is slightly lower than that by the displacement-controlled method. The calculated MSC capacity based on the rotation center position in serviceability limit state is relatively conservative, compared with the calculated capacity based on the rotation center position in the ultimate limit state. In the limit state, the passive earth pressures opposite the loading direction under load- and displacement-controlled methods decrease by 46% and 74% corresponding to peak values, respectively; however, the passive earth pressures in the loading direction at failure only decrease by approximately 3% and 7%, compared with their peak values.     

Trend and dynamic cause of sediment particle size on the adjacent continental shelf of the Yangtze Estuary

Based on the measured data in recent 20 years, the variation trends of the median grain size of the surface sediment, the sand-silt boundary and the mud area on the adjacent continental shelf of the Yangtze Estuary were analyzed in depth, and the effects of natural mechanism and human activities were discussed. The results show that:(1) In recent years(2006-2013), the median grain size of sediment and the distribution pattern of grouped sediments in the adjacent continental shelf area to the Yangtze Estuary have presented no obvious change compared with those before 2006;(2) The median diameter of the surface sediment in the continental shelf area displayed a coarsening trend with the decrease of sediment discharge from the basin and the drop in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area;(3) In 2004-2007, the sand-silt boundary in the north part(31°30′N) of the continental shelf area presented no significant changes, while that in the south part(31°30′S) moved inwards; In 2008-2013, both the sand-silt boundaries in the north and south parts of the continental shelf area moved inwards, mainly due to the fact that in the dry season, a relatively enhanced hydrodynamic force of the tides was generated in the Yangtze River, as well as a decreased suspended sediment concentration and a flow along the banks in North Jiangsu;(4) The mud area where the maximum deposition rate is found in the Yangtze Estuary, tends to shrink due to the drop in sediment discharge from the basin, and the decrease in suspended sediment concentration in the shore area and erosion in the delta. Moreover, it tended to shift to the south at the same time because the implement of the training works on the deep-water channel of the North Passage changed the split ratio between the North and South Passages with an increase in the power of the discharged runoff in the South Passage.     

Study on Longitudinal Deformation Profile of Rock Mass in a Subsea Tunnel

During tunnel excavation, the deformation of surrounding rock due to the unloading of rock mass will vary with time. However, the measured displacement of surrounding rock is only a part of the actual longitudinal deformation profile. There is a need to analyze the longitudinal deformation profile to identify the deformation state and evaluate the stability of surrounding rock mass. In the present article, the variation of pre-deformation of surrounding rock due to excavation was analyzed, and the release coefficient was obtained from the measured results. For the Qingdao subsea tunnel, the measured crown settlement of surrounding rock was analyzed using the regression analysis method, and the longitudinal deformation profile of rock mass was simulated using the numerical calculation method. Moreover, based on the conditions of the subsea tunnel, a solid-fluid coupling model test was carried out to check the reliability of the numerical calculation results. The results of the model test were consistent with the numerical calculation results.     

Effects of Column Diameter on Setting Behavior of Dredged Slurry in Sedimentation Experiments

This article investigates the influence of dimensions of a settling column on the settling mode and the settling rate. End conditions of the settling stage in the hindered settling were also analyzed. It was found that the settling mode in a column with a smaller diameter tends to be consolidation settling. The effect of a settling column wall decreases with increasing column diameter, and it can be ignored provided the column diameter is larger than 14.5 centimeters. For the difference in initial water content, the settling behavior of the slurry develops a different sensitivity to the diameter effect. The influence of column diameter reduces as the initial water content of the slurry becomes higher. It is suggested that the internal diameter of the column used in a sedimentation experiment should be 14.5 centimeters.     

Safety Assessment of Buried Pipeline during Pile Driving Vibration in Offshore Engineering

To assess the impact of pile driving on adjacent submarine pipelines during the reconstruction of a pier berth, the local damage model of submarine pipelines is established to explore the safety thresholds of the particle peak velocity and horizontal displacement. The results are analyzed and adjusted by the existing standards and the corresponding literatures. Then, a three-dimensional numerical model is presented to assess the feasibility of the construction of piles by the obtained safety limits, in which the nonlinear behavior of the soil and stress–seepage coupling analysis are considered. After the construction, the safety of submarine pipelines is rechecked by the measured value of the particle peak velocity and horizontal displacement. Meanwhile, the propagation law of vibration, the horizontal displacement of underground soil, and the pore pressure during pile driving are explored. The results indicate that the construction of piles of 2# mooring pier did not cause damage to adjacent submarine pipelines. However, the construction of piles of 1# mooring pier which is nearer may cause damage to submarine pipelines.