Numerical Study of Failure Mechanism of Serial and Parallel Rock Pillars

Using a numerical modelling code, rock failure process analysis, 2D, the progressive failure process and associated acoustic emission behaviour of serial and parallel rock samples were simulated. Both serial- and parallel sample models are presented for investigating the mechanism of rock pillar failure. As expected, the numerical results show that not only the stiffness, but also the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock plays an important role in pillar instability. For serial pillars, the elastic rebound of a rock pillar with higher uniaxial compressive strength can lead to the sudden failure of an adjacent rock pillar with lower uniaxial compressive strength. The failure zone forms and develops in the pillar with lower uniaxial compressive strength; however, the failure zone does not pass across the interface of the two pillars. In comparison, when two pillars have the same uniaxial compressive strengths but different elastic moduli, both serial pillars fail, and the failure zone in the two pillars can interact, passing across the interface and entering the other pillar. For parallel pillars, damage always develops in the pillar having the lower uniaxial compressive strength or lower elastic modulus. Furthermore, in accordance with the Kaiser effect, the stress-induced damage in a rock pillar is irreversible, and only when the previous stress state in the failed rock pillar is exceeded or the subsequent applied energy is larger than the energy released by the external loading will further damage continue to occur. In addition, the homogeneity index of rock also can affect the failure modes of parallel pillars, even though the uniaxial compressive strength and stiffness of each pillar are the same.     

2.5-D DC Resistivity Modeling Considering Flexibility and Accuracy

We highlighted the flexibility of using unstructured mesh together with the local refinement by a resistivity model with complicated topography. The effect of topography is emphasized. Based on this, we calculated a specific class of layered models and found that the accuracy is not always satisfactory by utilizing the standard approach. As an improvement, we employed the layered earth as the reference model to calculate the wavenumbers. The comparison demonstrates that the accuracy is considerably improved...     

基于新测年资料的蓟县运动和燕山早期运动表现探讨:以深圳西部地区及东部大鹏半岛国家地质公园地区为例

近3年来在深圳西部及东部大鹏半岛国家地质公园等地,笔者等参加了地质路线调查研究和取样工作,先后采集了20组岩石同位素定年样品,采用新方法锆石U-Pb定年激光测试法测试,其中获得7个数据集中在1 007～897 Ma,首次发现中-新元古代蓟县纪-青白口纪,并基本可以证实蓟县运动(1 400～1 000 Ma)的存在;对中...     

Diurnal variation in relative photosynthetic performance of marestail (Hippuris vulgaris Linn.) Across a water temperature gradient using PAM fluorometry in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China

This paper reports the first photosynthetic study of marestail in Jiuzhaigou. In this work, we used PAM fluorometry to examine photosynthetic rates of submerged and emerged marestail in three lakes. Three lakes were studied across a gradient of water temperature, with low water temperature conditions in Grass Lake and Arrow Bamboo Lake, and higher water temperature in Five Colored Lake. In the field, electron transport rates (ETR_max) were measured as rapid light curves (RLCs) by in situ yield measurements. Submerged and emerged marestail showed higher photosynthetic activity in Five Colored Lake compared to the other lakes, a response consistent with the adaptation of marestail in Five Colored Lake to high water temperature. The optimal temperature for photosynthesis of submerged marestail in Jiuzhaigou was about 12 °C. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of submerged and emerged marestail increased with increasing water temperature. Maximum quantum yield (F _v/F _m) of submerged marestail in Five Colored Lake showed full recovery at 1700 h due to higher NPQ. Further, the chlorophyll a for submerged marestail was the highest in Grass Lake and the lowest in Five Colored Lake. These results indicate that in different lakes the function of these aquatic plants is associated with a diversity of place-dependent environmental conditions, especially water temperature that leads to pronounced differences in the plant’s ecophysiological reactions.     

Laboratory tests of vortex-induced vibrations of a long flexible riser pipe subjected to uniform flow

Laboratory tests have been conducted on vortex-induced vibration (VIV) of a long flexible riser towed horizontally in a wave basin. The riser model has an external diameter of 16 mm and a total length of 28.0 m giving an aspect ratio of about 1750. Reynolds numbers ranged from about 3000 to 10,000. Fiber optic grating strain gages are adopted to measure the dynamic response in both cross-flow and in-line directions. The cross-flow vibrations were observed to vibrate at modes up to 6 and the in-line reached up to 12. The fundamental response frequencies can be predicted by a Strouhal number of about 0.18. Multi-mode responses and the asymmetry of the bare pipe response in uniform flow were observed and analyzed. The experimental results confirmed that the riser pipe vibrated multi-modally despite it being subject to a uniform current profile and all of the excited modes vibrated at the Strouhal frequency. The asymmetrical distribution of displacement mainly resulted from the modal composition. Higher harmonics of the VIV response such as the third, fourth and fifth harmonics frequencies were found to be steady over the entire duration of the test even if they varied along the length of the riser pipe.     

Chemical and Strontium Isotopic Compositions of the Hanjiang Basin Rivers in China: Anthropogenic Impacts and Chemical Weathering

The Hanjiang River, the largest tributaries of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, is the water source area of the Middle Route of China’s South-to-North Water Transfer Project. The chemical and strontium isotopic compositions of the river waters are determined with the main purpose of understanding the contribution of chemical weathering processes and anthropogenic inputs on river solutes, as well as the associated CO₂ consumption in the carbonate-dominated basin. The major ion compositions of the Hanjiang River waters are characterized by the dominance of Ca²⁺ and HCO₃ ⁻, followed by Mg²⁺ and SO₄ ²⁻. The increase in TDS and major anions (Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻, and SO₄ ²⁻) concentrations from upstream to downstream is ascribed to both extensive influences from agriculture and domestic activities over the Hanjiang basin. The chemical and Sr isotopic analyses indicate that three major weathering sources (dolomite, limestone, and silicates) contribute to the total dissolved loads. The contributions of the different end-members to the dissolved load are calculated with the mass balance approach. The calculated results show that the dissolved load is dominated by carbonates weathering, the contribution of which accounts for about 79.4% for the Hanjiang River. The silicate weathering and anthropogenic contributions are approximately 12.3 and 6.87%, respectively. The total TDS fluxes from chemical weathering calculated for the water source area (the upper Hanjiang basin) and the whole Hanjiang basin are approximately 3.8 × 10⁶ and 6.1 × 10⁶ ton/year, respectively. The total chemical weathering (carbonate and silicate) rate for the Hanjiang basin is approximately 38.5 ton/km²/year or 18.6 mm/k year, which is higher than global mean values. The fluxes of CO₂ consumption by carbonate and silicate weathering are estimated to be 56.4 × 10⁹ and 12.9 × 10⁹ mol/year, respectively.     

Examining locally driven climate change policy efforts in three Pacific states

Local jurisdictions play a critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This study analyzes the theoretical framework of locally driven climate change actions and uses geographic information system (GIS) to map local jurisdictions’ climate change policy efforts in three Pacific states - California, Oregon, and Washington. The results of our study indicate statistically significant differences in geographic clusters and variations across jurisdictions. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was used to examine climate risk, emission stress, and socioeconomic context variables to detect influence on local climate change policy efforts. The explanatory results indicate that coastal proximity, population density, vehicles emission, and education variables significantly influence local jurisdictions’ climate change actions. The findings contribute to local organizational decision model research and can help local communities to develop more effective climate change policies.     

Empirical ocean-color algorithms to retrieve chlorophyll-a, total suspended matter, and colored dissolved organic matter absorption coefficient in the Yellow and East China Seas

A bio-optical dataset collected during the 1998?C2007 period in the Yellow and East China Seas (YECS) was used to provide alternative empirical ocean-color algorithms in the retrieval of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended matter (TSM), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption coefficients at 440 nm (ag₄₄₀). Assuming that remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) could be retrieved accurately, empirical algorithms for T_Chl (regionally tuned Tassan??s Chl-a algorithm) in case-1 waters (T_Chl2i in case-2 waters), T_TSM (regionally tuned Tassan??s TSM algorithm), and T_ag440 or C_ag440 (regionally tuned Tassan??s or Carder??s ag₄₄₀ algorithm) were able to retrieve Chl-a, TSM, and ag₄₄₀ with uncertainties as high as 35, 46, and 35%, respectively. Applying the standard SeaWiFS Rrs, T_Chl was not viable in the eastern part of the YECS, which was associated with an inaccurate SeaWiFS Rrs retrieval because of improper atmospheric correction. T_Chl behaved better than other algorithms in the turbid case-2 waters, although overestimation was still observed. To retrieve more reliable Chl-a estimates with standard SeaWiFS Rrs in turbid water (a proxy for case-2 waters), we modified T_Chl for data with SeaWiFS normalized water-leaving radiance at 555 nm (nLw₅₅₅) > 2 mW cm^?2 ??m^?1 sr^?1 (T_Chl2s). Finally, with standard SeaWiFS Rrs, we recommend switching algorithms from T_Chl2s (for case-2 waters) to MOC_Chl (SeaWiFS-modified NASA OC4v4 standard algorithm for case-1 waters) for retrieving Chl-a, which resulted in uncertainties as high as 49%. To retrieve TSM and ag₄₄₀ using SeaWiFS Rrs, we recommend empirical algorithms for T_TSM (pre-SeaWiFS-modified form) and MT_ag440 or MC_ag440 (SeaWiFS Rrs-modified forms of T_ag440 or C_ag440). These could retrieve with uncertainties as high as 82 and 52%, respectively.     

Nutrient and chlorophyll a anomaly in red-tide periods of 2003-2008 in Sishili Bay, China

Sishili Bay is the most important aquiculture and tourism area for the city of Yantai, China; however, red tides occurred frequently and have caused huge economic losses in this bay in recent years. To gain a better understanding of the local ecological environments in the bay, we conducted this research between 2003 and 2008 to analyze variations in nutrients and chlorophyll (chl-a) during high frequency red tide period (May to September). The results show that the chl-a concentration increased from 2.70 in 2003 to 7.26 mg/m3 in 2008, while the concentration of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and silicate (SiO3-Si) increased lineally from 5.18 and 1.45 μmol/L in 2003 to 18.57 and 9.52 μmol/L in 2008, respectively, and the annual phosphate (PO4-P) varied between 0.15 and 0.46 μmol/L. Special attention was given to a red tide in August 2007 occurred when water temperature was high and nutrient concentrations increased sharply because of a heavy rainfall. Overall, the results show the P limitation in Sishili Bay, and reveal that red tides were caused by eutrophication from terrestrial inputs and local warm weather, particularly during rainy periods. Therefore, to control red tide, greater efforts should be made to reduce sewage discharges into Sishili Bay, particularly during rainfall seasons.     

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition in the northern South China Sea during winter

Phytoplankton pigment patterns and community composition were investigated in the northern South China Sea using high-performance liquid chromatography and the CHEMTAX software from February 11 to 23, 2009. We recognized four different vertical distribution patterns of pigments: chlorophyll a (Chl a)-like type, divinyl chlorophyll a (DV Chl a) type, even distribution type, and surface type. The average value of ratios of accessory photo-protective pigments (APP) to accessory photo-synthetic pigments was 0.89±0.63 in the upper 50 m and 0.16±0.06 below 50 m depth. With increasing depth, APP decreased and photo-synthetically active radiation was attenuated. There was an obvious succession in the phytoplankton community from inshore to the open sea. Diatoms were dominant in the inshore region, while pelagophytes, Prochlorococcus, cyanobacteria and prymnesiophytes were dominant in the open sea. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton also differed greatly from inshore to the open sea. In the coastal and shelf region, diatoms were important components in the whole water column. Cyanobacteria also had a high abundance at the Subsurface Chlorophyll a Maxima (SCM) in the shelf region. In the slope and open sea, Prochlorococcus and cyanobacteria were important groups above the SCM, while pelagophytes dominated below the SCM.