Holocene estuarine sediments as a source of arsenic in Pleistocene groundwater in suburbs of Hanoi,Vietnam

Groundwater pollution by arsenic is a major health threat in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam. The present study evaluates the effect of the sedimentary environments of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, and the recharge systems, on the groundwater arsenic pollution in Hanoi suburbs distant from the Red River. At two study sites (Linh Dam and Tai Mo communes), undisturbed soil cores identified a Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) and Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) as major aquifers, and Holocene estuarine and deltaic sediments as an aquitard layer between the two aquifers. The Holocene estuarine sediments (approximately 25–40 m depth, 9.6–4.8 cal ka BP) contained notably high concentrations of arsenic and organic matter, both likely to have been accumulated by mangroves during the Holocene sea-level highstand. The pore waters in these particular sediments exhibited elevated levels of arsenic and dissolved organic carbon. Arsenic in groundwater was higher in the PCA (25–94 μg/L) than in the HUA (5.2–42 μg/L), in both the monitoring wells and neighboring household tubewells. Elevated arsenic concentration in the PCA groundwater was likely due to vertical infiltration through the arsenic-rich and organic-matter-rich overlying Holocene estuarine sediments, caused by massive groundwater abstraction from the PCA. Countermeasures to prevent arsenic pollution of the PCA groundwater may include seeking alternative water resources, reducing water consumption, and/or appropriate choice of aquifers for groundwater supply.     

Evaluation of the dynamic <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis><Subscript>p</Subscript> loops of pile-supported structures on sloping ground

A key issue in the design of pile-supported structures on sloping ground is soil–pile interaction, which becomes more complicated in case of dynamic loading. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of slope on the dynamic behavior of pile-supported structures by performing a series of centrifuge tests. Three models were prepared by varying the slope and soil density of dry sand grounds. The mass supported on 3 by 3 group piles was shaken applying sinusoidal wave with various amplitudes. Test results showed that the location of maximum values and distribution shape of the bending moment below the ground surface varied noticeably with the pile position in the slope case. The relationship between the soil resistance and pile deflection (p–y_p loops) was carefully evaluated by applying the piecewise cubic spline method to fit the measured bending moment curves along piles. It was found that the shape of the p–y_p loops was irregular due to the effect of slope, and immensely influenced by the movement of the unstable zone. In addition, the effect of the pile group in the horizontal case was evaluated by comparing with the previously suggested curves that represent the relationship between the soil resistance and pile–soil relative displacement (p–y curves) to propose the multiplier coefficients.     

Prediction of Blast-Induced Ground Vibration Intensity in Open-Pit Mines Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and a Novel Intelligence System

Natural Resources Research - Predicting and reducing blast-induced ground vibrations is a common concern among engineers and mining enterprises. Dealing with these vibrations is a challenging issue...     

A Novel Artificial Intelligence Approach to Predict Blast-Induced Ground Vibration in Open-Pit Mines Based on the Firefly Algorithm and Artificial Neural Network

Natural Resources Research - The primary purpose of this study was to develop a novel hybrid artificial intelligence model, with a robust performance, to predict ground vibration induced by bench...     

Morphological Change in the Northern Red River Delta,Vietnam

Coastal erosion has become a worldwide concern, typically in the densely populated Asian mega-river deltas. Severe coastal erosion in the southern Red River Delta(RRD) has been intensively studied. Coastal morphological change in the northern RRD was examined in detail through DEM(Digital Elevation Model) analysis based on time series of bathymetrical maps(1965–2004) and Landsat images(1975–2015) in this study. The results show that the northern RRD is featured by rapid coastal accretion in the past few decades, although suspended sediment flux has dropped by roughly 60% after the completeness of Hoa Binh Dam(HBD) in 1988 and relative sea level rose at 1.9 mm yr~(-1). However, accretion at the outer part of subtidal shoals and platforms was observed to slow down quickly or even turned into erosion in the last two decades. The resuspended sediments from the erosion zone can be transported landward to replenish the inner coastal zone, keeping the latter accretion in the near future to compensate for the sediment discharge decrease from the river. However, this lag effect should be terminated soon if other adverse effects go worse, e.g., damming rivers, sea-level rising, strengthening storms, land reclamation and other poor-designed coastal engineering. Coastal planners and managers should pay full attention to these changes.