Damage Constitutive and Failure Prediction of Artificial Single-Joint Sandstone Based on Acoustic Emission

The effect law of deformation and failure of a jointed rock mass is essential for underground engineering safety and stability evaluation. In order to study the evolution mechanism and precursory characteristics of instability and failure of jointed rock masses, uniaxial compression and acoustic emission (AE) tests are conducted on sandstones with different joint dip angles. To simulate the mechanical behavior of the rock, a jointed rock mass damage constitutive model with AE characteristic parameters is created based on damage mechanics theory and taking into account the effect of rock mass structure and load coupling. To quantify the mechanism of rock instability, a cusp catastrophe model with AE characteristic parameters is created based on catastrophe theory. The results indicate that when the joint dip angle increases from 0° to 90°, the failure mechanism of sandstone shifts from tensile to shear, with 45° being the critical failure mode. Sandstone's compressive strength reduces initially and subsequently increases, resulting in a U-shaped distribution. The developed damage constitutive model's theoretical curve closely matches the test curve, indicating that the model can reasonably describe the damage evolution of sandstone. The cusp catastrophe model has a high forecast accuracy, and when combined with the damage constitutive model, the prediction accuracy can be increased further. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the safety and stability evaluation of underground engineering.

     

Ecotourism and mass tourism in Southern Thailand: Spatial interdependence,structural connections,and staged authenticity

The desire to spend leisure time in natural settings represents a key factor behind the recent and rapid growth of ecotourism. A search by ecotourists for remote landscapes and locations has shaped the way in which geographers have defined ecotourism, but few scholars have explored, in detail, the mechanics of the spatial relationship between ecotourism and mass tourism, two forms of travel usually considered mutually exclusive in spatial terms. Using the island of Phuket — southern Thailands premier resort destination — as a case study, this paper investigates the spatial overlaps and connections between ecotourism and mass tourism and tests the assumption that ecotourism and mass tourism must exist spatially apart in order for the former to succeed. Despite Phukets association with mass tourism, and the small physical distances between built-up mass tourist areas and natural ecotourism settings, the communicative staging of natural authenticity allows ecotourism companies to convey geographical remoteness to tourists. Although ecotourism in Phuket must struggle constantly to overcome the perceptual impact of spatial proximity to resort locations, the tourist markets and business networks of the existing mass tourism industry remain crucial to the survival of ecotourism in this region. Thus, contrary to conventional notions that ecotourism and mass tourism must exist as separate entities, this paper argues that an interconnected, symbiotic, and spatially-contiguous relationship between the two is necessary in the case of Phuket.     

Devonian ichnofossils from the Farakah Muth section of the Pin Valley,Spiti Himalaya

The Muth Formation is one of the most characteristic marker horizon traced throughout the northwestern Himalaya. The present studies were carried out in the Farakah Muth (Pin Valley) section of Spiti Basin. The formation uniformly consists of quartzarenite with a high textural and compositional maturity. The development of carbonate beds in the upper part of the Muth Formation separates it conformably from the overlying Lipak Formation. A variety of traces were observed throughout the succession, includes: Metaichna, Planolites, Skolithos, vertical and horizontal burrows. The presence of ichnofossils in the Muth Formation of the Farakah section indicates subtidal settings having soft sandy substrate, whereas, the gradual maturity of the quartz grains from base to top indicates deposition under high energy condition.     

矿产资源管理信息系统设计与开发

基于GIS的矿产资源管理信息系统采用地理信息系统(GIS)技术、SQL Server数据库技术以及网络技术,实现了矿产资源信息图形数据与属性数据统一管理,为矿产资源管理工作提供了现代化的科学管理手段和决策支持。本文介绍了系统的设计与实现、系统包含的工作模块、各个模块的功能结构以及采用的技术特点。     

Pollution characteristics of alluvial groundwater from springs and bore wells in semi-urban informal settlements of Douala,Cameroon, Western Africa

Alluvial groundwater from springs and bore wells, used as the major source of water for drinking and other domestic purposes in the semi-urban informal settlements of Douala, Cameroon, has been studied. Six representative springs, four bore wells and two hand dug wells, situated in the Phanerozoic basin were selected, from which a total of 72 water samples were analyzed for chemical characteristics and indicators of bacterial contamination. The results showed anthropogenic pollution, evident from high concentrations of organic (up to 94.3 mg NO₃/l nitrate) fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus detected in the springs and bore wells (with values of 2,311 and 1,500 cfu/100 ml, respectively). The pH ranged from 3.4–6.5, which is lower than the guidelines for drinking water. Groundwater samples from background upstream inland natural areas W1 and W2 had low electrical conductivity (54.2 and 74.8 μs/cm, respectively) and major ions, which increased downstream in the valleys, peaking in the more densely settled areas. An acceptable concentration of solutes was observed for the bore wells except for a single sample from B4. The bore-well sample B4 registered the highest microbial content (2,130 cfu/100 ml) and nitrate level(26 mg/l), which could be due to the bottom of this well lying just at or close to the zone of mixing between sewage and groundwater. The absence of a direct correlation between nitrate and fecal matter suggests multiple sources of contamination. The shallow alluvial aquifer consists of unconsolidated deposits of gravel, sand, silt and clay. The springs, therefore, receive direct recharge from the ground surface with limited contaminant attenuation, which leads to water quality deterioration, especially during the rainy season. This shows the urgent need to put basic service infrastructures in place. The local population should be sensitized to the importance of chlorinating and boiling drinking water to prevent health hazards.     

Comparative assessment of nitrogen fixation rate by 15N2 tracer assays in the South China Sea

Nitrogen fixation is one of the most important sources of new nitrogen in the ocean and thus profoundly affects the nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical processes. The distribution, controlling factors, and flux of N₂ fixation in the global ocean remain uncertain, partly because of the lack of methodological uniformity. The 15N₂ tracer assay (the original bubble method → the 15N₂-enriched seawater method → the modified bubble method) is the mainstream method for field measurements of N₂ fixation rates (NFRs), among which the original bubble method is the most frequently used. However, accumulating evidence has suggested an underestimation of NFRs when using this method. To improve the availability of previous data, we compared NFRs measured by three 15N₂ tracer assays in the South China Sea. Our results indicate that the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the 15N₂-enriched seawater method varies obviously with area and season, which may be influenced by incubation time, diazotrophic composition, and environmental factors. In comparison, the relationship between NFRs measured by the original bubble method and the modified bubble method is more stable, indicating that the N₂ fixation rates based on the original bubble methods may be underestimated by approximately 50%. Based on this result, we revised the flux of N₂ fixation in the South China Sea to 40 mmol/(m2·a). Our results improve the availability and comparability of literature NFR data in the South China Sea. The comparison of the 15N₂ tracer assay for NFRs measurements on a larger scale is urgently necessary over the global ocean for a more robust understanding of the role of N₂ fixation in the marine nitrogen cycle.     

Aliphatic biomarker signatures of early Oligocene-early Miocene source rocks in the central Qiongdongnan Basin: Source analyses of organic matter

The geochemical signatures of fifty-four rock samples and three supplementary drill stem test(DST) oils from the Yacheng-Sanya formations in the central Qiongdongnan Basin(CQB) were analysed. Reconstruction of the early Oligocene-early Miocene(36–16 Ma) palaeovegetation and source analyses of organic matter(OM) were conducted using aliphatic biomarkers in ancient sediments and DST oils. Both the interpreted aquatic and terrigenous OM contributed to the CQB source rocks(SRs) but had varying relat...     

南海西北部水域斑节对虾资源的调查研究

1989－1991年对南海西北部水域进行斑节对虾Penaeusmonodon资源专项调查。结果表明,斑节对虾的密集分布区在海南岛东部和南部海区,其现存资源量为82．6万尾,周年有体长30mm以下的幼虾出现。主要产卵期在9－12月。产卵场在海南岛东部和南部水深30-60m的海区。     

商业平板式超滤膜包完整性检验：对海洋胶体生物地球化学研究的启示

The performance and integrity of a cassette cross-flow ultrafilter(Pellicon 2, Millipore) are examined with a suite of macromolecules of different molecular masses. The retention coefficient during the cross-flow ultrafiltration experiments increases with increasing molecular mass and reaches 90% with 10 kDa dextran in both milli-Q water and ultrafiltered seawater media. Based on a 90% retention coefficient, the molecular mass cut-off for the ultrafiltration membrane is defined at 10 kDa, which is ten times(1 kDa) that rated by the manufacturer. To further validate the accuracy of the laboratory calibration, the samples from the lower Zhujiang River and the Jiulong River Estuary are ultrafiltered with the cassette ultrafiltration membrane and the colloidal organic carbon abundances in these samples are quantified with the ultrafiltration permeation model based on time series permeation subsamples. The colloidal organic carbon abundances are 5.8%–21.1% in the Jiulong River Estuary and 5.6%–11.0% in the lower Zhujiang River. These are consistent with the reported values for both estuaries as well as with the colloidal organic carbon abundances in marine environments over the coastal and open oceans with 10 kDa cut-off membranes. Therefore, these field data support the laboratory calibration result and indicate the validity of the experimental and quantification procedure adopted. The discrepancy between the nominal molecular mass cut-off and the actual pore size of the ultrafiltration membrane should be of great concern for research in colloidal and nanoparticle biogeochemistry. Careful examination of the membrane integrity should be taken during ultrafiltration experiments in order to avoid misleading molecular mass cut-off information.     

Incorporating uncertainty into the estimation of biological reference points for a spiny lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) fishery

The status of a fishery is often defined as the probability of fishing mortality rate exceeding a perilous level for long‐term sustainability. Lobster stock assessments are often subject to large uncertainty in input data and high levels of natural variability in lobster life history processes, which calls for incorporating uncertainty associated with both indicator and management reference points in an evaluation of biological risk of overfishing. Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach, we evaluated the impacts of uncertainty in modelling on the determination of the status of the Taitung spiny lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) fishery (Taiwan), which has not been quantitatively determined despite its commercial importance. The commonly used biological reference points derived from the per recruit model (F _0.1 the fishing mortality rate where the slope of the curve of yield‐per‐recruit model is 10% of the maximum slope and F _4Q%, the fishing mortality rate that reduces the expected egg production for a cohort of female lobsters to 40% of that produced in the absence of a fishery of the egg‐per‐recruit model) were influenced by uncertainties associated with lobster life history and fishery parameters. A large uncertainty in the current fishing mortality rate (F _cnr) and estimates of biological reference points (F _BRPs) increased the uncertainty in determining the risk of overexploitation throughout the confidence levels of the stochastic decision‐making framework. This simulation study suggests that the target reference point of F _40% is less sensitive to the input parameters’ uncertainty than F _0.1 We suggest a further evaluation of other F‐based references points and development of biomass‐based reference points before final selection and implementation for the management of the Taitung lobster fishery.