Morphodynamics of an Artificial Cobble Beach in Tianquan Bay,Xiamen, China

By tracking and monitoring the profile configuration, topography, and hydrodynamic factors of an artificial cobble beach in Tianquan Bay, Xiamen, China over three consecutive years after its completion, we analyzed the evolution of its profile configuration and plane morphology, and its storm response characteristics. The evolution of the profile configuration of the artificial cobble beach in Tianquan Bay can be divided into four stages. The beach was unstable during the initial stage after the beach nourishment the profile configuration changed obviously, and an upper concave composite cobble beach formed gradually, which was characterized by a steep upper part and a gentle lower part. In the second stage, the cobble beach approached dynamic equilibrium with minor changes in the profile configuration. At the third stage the beach was in a high-energy state under the influence of Typhoon Meranti, and the response of the artificial cobble beach differed significantly from that of the low-tide terrace sandy beach. Within a short time, there was net onshore transport of cobbles in the cross-shore direction. The beach face was eroded, the beach berm was accumulated, and the slope of the beach was steepened considerably. In the alongshore direction, there was notable transport of cobbles on the beach from east to west along the shore, and the total volume of the beach decreased by 4.5×103 m~3, which accounted for 50% of the total amount of beach volume lost within three years. The fourth stage was the restoration stage after the typhoon, characterized by a little gentler profile slope and the increase in width and the decrease in height of beach berm. Because of the action of waves and the wave-driven longshore current caused by the specific terrain and landform conditions along the coast(e.g., coastal headlands, near-shore artificial structures, and reefs), the coastline of the artificial cobble beach gradually evolved from being essentially parallel to the artificial coast upon completion to a slightly curved parabolic shape, and three distinct erosion hotspots were formed on the west side of the cape and the artificial drainpipe, and the reefs. Generally, the adoption of cobbles for beach nourishment on this macro-tidal coast beach with severe erosion has yielded excellent stability and adaptability.     

Identification of a Long-Chain Fatty Acid Elongase from Nannochloropsis sp. Involved in the Biosynthesis of Fatty Acids by Heterologous Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The marine microalga Nannochloropsis sp. contains various elongases and desaturases that are critical for biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids. A full-length cDNA encoding a long-chain fatty acid elongase, named Ns FAE, was cloned from Nannochloropsis sp.. The open reading frame of Ns FAE(GenBank accession no. MF680548) consisted of 1068 bp and encoded a predicted protein of 355 amino acids with molecular mass 38.8 k Da. The deduced polypeptide showed 43%–44% identity to fatty acyl elongases from other algae. RT-PCR experiments indicated that the Ns FAE gene exhibited the highest expression in Nannochloropsis sp. at 72 h(i.e., during the third growth stage) and the expression was significantly lower in the other four growth stages. Plasmid p Ns FAE-CRISPR and a recombinant DNA fragment(ADH1p-Ns FAE-CYCt) were transformed into Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain BY4742 using the CRISPR-Cas system. Yeast transformants containing Ns FAE produced three fatty acids not normally present in wild-type BY4742-linoleic acid, linolenic acid and eicosadienoic acid-indicating that Ns FAE encodes a functional elongase enzyme.     

Dynamic hydraulic jump and retrograde sedimentation in an open channel induced by sediment supply: experimental study and SPH simulation

Mountainous torrents often carry large amounts of loose materials into the rivers, thus causing strong sediment transport. Experimentally it was found for the first time that when the intensive sediment motion occurs downstream over a gentle slope, the siltation of the riverbed is induced and the sediment particles can move upstream rapidly in the form of a retrograde sand wave, resulting in a higher water level along the river. To further study the complex mechanisms of this problem, a sediment mass model in the framework of the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics(SPH) method was presented to simulate the riverbed evolution, sediment particle motion, and the generation and development of dynamic hydraulic jump under the condition of sufficient sediment supply over a steep slope with varying angles. Because the sediment is not a continuous medium, the marker particle tracking approach was proposed to represent a piece of sediment with a marked sediment particle. The twophase SPH model realizes the interaction between the sediment and fluid by moving the bed boundary particles up and down, so it can reasonably treat the fluid-sediment interfaces with high CPU efficiency. The critical triggering condition of sediment motion, the propagation of the hydraulic jump and the initial siltation position were all systematically studied. The experimental and numerical results revealed the extra disastrous sediment effect in a mountainous flood. The findings will be useful references to the disaster prevention and mitigation in mountainous rivers.     

Mechanism of toppling and deformation in hard rock slope: a case of bank slope of Hydropower Station,Qinghai Province,China

Recently, various toppling slopes have emerged with the development of hydropower projects in the western mountainous regions of China. The slope on the right bank of the Laxiwa Hydropower Station, located on the mainstream of the Yellow River in the Qinghai Province of Northwest China, is a typical hard rock slope. Further, its deformation characteristics are different from those of common natural hard rock toppling. Because this slope is located close to the dam of the hydropower station, its deformation mechanism has a practical significance. Based on detailed geological engineering surveys, four stages of deformation have been identified using discrete element numerical software and geological engineering analysis methods, including toppling creep, initial toppling deformation, intensified toppling deformation, and current slope formation. The spatial and time-related deformation of this site also exhibited four stages, including initial toppling, toppling development, intensification of toppling, and disintegration and collapse. Subsequently, the mechanism of toppling and deformation of the bank slope were studied. The results of this study exhibit important reference value for developing the prevention–control design of toppling and for ensuring operational safety in the hydropower reservoir area.     

Modelling the flexural buckling failure of stratified rock slopes based on the multilayer beam model

The buckling failure of stratified rock slopes intersected by a set of steep discontinuities that are approximately parallel to the slope surface is frequently encountered while constructing railways and roadways in mountainous areas. In this study, an analytical approach based on the energy equilibrium principle is presented to solve the flexural buckling stability of stratified rock slopes within the framework of multilayer beam theory. The generalized HoekBrown failure criterion is introduced to reflect the influences of slope size(scale effects) on the buckling stability. Subsequently, numerical and physical modellings from previous literatures are employed to validate the proposed approach. Furthermore, a practical case of Bawang Mountain landslide is also used for the comparative analysis. The study shows that the present analytical approach is capable to provide a more reasonable assessment for the buckling failure of stratified rock slopes, compared with several existing analytical approaches. Finally, a detailed parametric study is implemented, and the results indicate that the effects of rock strength, rock deformation modulus, geological strength index, layer thickness and disturbance degree of rock mass on the buckling failure of stratified rock slopes are more significant than that of rock type and slope angle.     

Origin of the Mushroom Stone Forest at the southeastern foot of the Little Sangpu Mountain in eastern Guangdong,China: A palaeo-sea-level indicator or not?

The Mushroom Stone Forest, which consists of granite boulders looking like mushrooms with flared sidewalls, is located in eastern Guangdong China, and is a famous scenic spot that draws many tourists each year. The Mushroom Stone Forest has been traditionally recognized as a collection of wave erosion landforms and used for the reconstruction of palaeo-sea-level changes along the coastal areas of eastern Guangdong in previous coastal researches. By combining in situ measurements of the aspect,vertical profile and height of boulder sidewalls,palaeo-coastal wave direction estimation, rock density determination, major elemental analysis, and petrographic thin section analysis, this paper presents an alternative origin for the Mushroom Stone Forest.Our results suggest that wave or wind erosion cannot offer a satisfactory explanation for the formation of the Mushroom Stone Forest; The boulders that make up the Mushroom Stone Forest originated from the corestones in the granite weathering crusts of the Little Sangpu Mountain; When the debris of the weathering crust was removed, the corestones are perched on rocky outcrops or half-buried by weathering debris beneath the natural land surface;The flared sidewall (concave vertical profile) of the boulders is a particular form developed in the foot zone of a half-buried boulder through increased chemical weathering beneath the land surface. A recent exposed half-buried boulder found in the study area provides convincing evidence to support this argument. Sea water reached the foot of the Sangpu Mountain during the Holocene transgression, but it merely provided a mechanism to erode the weathering debris from the bottom of the mushroom rocks and enhanced salt weathering that created tafoni on the boulders. These findings demonstrate that the boulders of the Mushroom Stone Forest are not sea stacks and cannot be served as a palaeo-sea-level indicator.     

Effects of rainfall intensity and topography on rill development and rill characteristics on loessial hillslopes in China

Rill development is a major soil erosion process that causes severe soil degradation.This study examined the effects of representative rainfall intensities(50 and 75 mm h-1),slope gradients(10°and 150),and slope lengths(7.5 and 10.0 m)on rill development and rill characteristics on loessial hillslopes in China.Loessial soil was collected from the cropland of Ansai Town,Yan'an City,Shaanxi Province.The soil with 28.3%sand,58.1%silt,and13.6%clay was packed into a soil pan to conduct rainfall simulations in 2012.The results showed that the time of the knickpoint occurrence(5-16 min),the rill headcut extension(9-33 min),and the mean headward erosion rate(1.7-5.o cm min-1)were better representative indicators for reflecting the changes in the rill development than other indicators used in this study.For a quick evaluation of the rill erosion severity,the rill coverage ratio(1%-12%,generallyincreasing with an increase in the rainfall intensity)was better than the other indicators for treatments with different rainfall intensities,and the rill width-depth ratio(1.56-2.27,generally decreasing with an increase in the slope gradient)was better than the other indicators for treatments with different slope gradients.Furthermore,the rill inclination angle(8.2°-19.1°,significantly increasing with an increase in the slope length)and rill density(0.19-1.34 m·m-2,generally increasing with an increase in the slope length)were more suitable for evaluating the rill erosion severity on hillslopes with different slope lengths.Therefore,the representative indicators could reflect the differences in the rill development and rill characteristics under different rainfall and topographic situations.The study greatly improved the evaluation of rill erosion severity and the prediction of the development of rills for loessial hillslopes.     

干热岩钻探关键技术探索

干热岩是国际公认的高效低碳清洁能源,近年来,随着国家对清洁能源勘探开发的提倡和支持,国内开展了一些干热岩勘探工作。干热岩钻探是前期获取地质资料进行资源量计算及后期开发利用的关键部分。现阶段国内在干热岩钻探工艺技术方面还没有形成体系,大多借用石油钻井行业及地质钻井行业的一些工艺技术,但干热岩钻探钻遇地层温度普遍较高,且大部分孔段均为坚硬的花岗岩地层,因此如何在高温环境下保持钻井液性能,保证其携带岩屑及维护孔壁稳定的功效,在坚硬的花岗岩层中如何提高钻进效率,实现高效钻进,钻遇破碎地层时如何维护孔壁稳定,实现护壁堵漏等问题,该文结合国内已施工的部分干热岩钻探工程,对国内干热岩钻探所采取的工艺技术进行了探索,研制了抗高温配方的钻井液,使用转盘回转+孔底动力钻具复合钻进,在钻井液中加入抗高温封堵剂,可有效提高干热岩钻探效率,以期促进干热岩钻探工艺技术的研究、应用和推广。     

马氏珠母贝TRACP基因的克隆及组织表达

【目的】克隆马氏珠母贝(Pinctada martensii)抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶(Tartrate resistant acid phosphatase,TRACP)基因,分析该基因在不同组织中的表达模式。【方法】用RACE技术克隆得马氏珠母贝TRACP基因(PmTRACP),用实时荧光定量PCR分析该基因在外套膜、闭壳肌、足、性腺、珍珠囊、肝胰腺和鳃中的表达。【结果与结论】PmTRACP基因长度为2 034 bp,开放式阅读框972 bp,编码323个氨基酸,5′UTR长度为27 bp,3′UTR长度为1 035 bp。预测PmTRACP分子质量约为36.39 ku,理论等电点为5.97。该基因含有一个钙调神经磷酸酶样磷酸酯酶结构域。PmTRACP与其他物种TRACP的同源性为48%～65%,与长牡蛎(Crassostrea gigas)TRACP的同源性最高,同时D³²、D⁷⁰、Y⁷³、N¹⁰⁸、H²⁰³、H²¹²、H²³⁷、H²³⁹等8个氨基酸活性位点和N¹¹⁴糖基化位点在不同物种TRACP中高度保守。PmTRACP与长牡蛎TRACP的亲缘关系最近。PmTRACP在马氏珠母贝各个组织均有表达,且在肝胰腺和珍珠囊中高表达。     

京津冀城市群虚拟水贸易的近远程分析

虚拟水贸易能重新分配区域间的水资源。在京津冀协同发展的背景下,厘清京津冀城市群与外部的虚拟水贸易及城市群内部的虚拟水流动,有助于深入理解该地区的水资源供需现状及问题,为制定虚拟水贸易相关策略、实现区域水资源优化配置、保障区域水资源安全提供决策支持。本文基于2010年全国区域间投入产出表,测算了京津冀城市群各省（市）水足迹及与全国各省域单元的虚拟水贸易量。从近远程视角定量评估城市群地区对内、外部水资源的依赖程度,并分析虚拟水贸易的距离特征。研究发现：① 京津冀城市群各省（市）各部门用水系数显现出差异性,农业部门用水强度最高,直接用水与完全用水系数分别超过300 m ³/万元和400 m ³/万元;② 京津冀城市群内部各省（市）人均消费水足迹差异大,北京、天津、河北的人均水足迹分别为405 m ³、565 m ³、191 m ³;③ 京津冀城市群的消费水足迹遍布全国各省域单元,近程水足迹与远程水足迹分别为91.4亿m ³、198.5亿m ³,其中,近程水足迹主要来源于本省（市）,西部地区对远程水足迹的贡献最大;④ 京津冀城市群的虚拟水输入总体偏向来源于距离较近的省域单元,北京、天津、河北水足迹距离来源地的平均距离分别为1049 km、1297 km、688 km;⑤ 北京和天津为虚拟水贸易的净流入区,对外部水资源的依赖性强;河北为虚拟水贸易的净流出区,为京津冀城市群及其他地区供给水资源,虚拟水净流出进一步加剧了河北的水资源短缺。未来,受人口增长、经济发展等因素影响,京津冀城市群的水资源压力将进一步加剧,提高用水效率、升级产业结构、提倡低水足迹消费模式、实行虚拟水战略是实现京津冀城市群可持续发展的有效途径。