Effect of polypropylene fibre and lime admixture on engineering properties of clayey soil

In order to reduce the brittleness of soil stabilized by lime only, a recent study of a newly proposed mixture of polypropylene fibre and lime for ground improvement is described and reported in the paper. To investigate and understand the influence of the mixture of polypropylene fibre and lime on the engineering properties of a clayey soil, nine groups of treated soil specimens were prepared and tested at three different percentages of fibre content (i.e. 0.05%, 0.15%, 0.25% by weight of the parent soil) and three different percentages of lime (i.e. 2%, 5%, 8% by weight of the parent soil). These treated specimens were subjected to unconfined compression, direct shear, swelling and shrinkage tests. Through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of the specimens after shearing, the improving mechanisms of polypropylene fibre and lime in the soil were discussed and the observed test results were explained. It was found that fibre content, lime content and curing duration had significant influence on the engineering properties of the fibre–lime treated soil. An increase in lime content resulted in an initial increase followed by a slight decrease in unconfined compressive strength, cohesion and angle of internal friction of the clayey soil. On the other hand, an increase in lime content led to a reduction of swelling and shrinkage potential. However, an increase in fibre content caused an increase in strength and shrinkage potential but brought on the reduction of swelling potential. An increase in curing duration improved the unconfined compressive strength and shear strength parameters of the stabilized soil significantly. Based on the SEM analysis, it was found that the presence of fibre contributed to physical interaction between fibre and soil whereas the use of lime produced chemical reaction between lime and soil and changed soil fabric significantly.     

Water quality variation and clam growth: Is pH really a non-issue in estuaries?

A tandem deployment system was used to critically evaluate relationships between important water chemistry parameters (pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen) and biotic performance based on clam growth. The effects of environmental conditions on growth of juvenile clams,Mercenaria mercenaria, were determined after 7-day field deployments in cages at reference sites from 1998 to 2000. Continuous measurements of the overlying water chemistry parameters were monitored by deploying an in situ water quality instrument (Hydrolab Datasonde) at the same time. While salinity was identified as an important determinant of clam growth over wide salinity ranges (10–35‰), pH was also found to be a very important parameter, especially in low-salinity regimes (<25‰). Average pH measurements ranged from 7.2 to 7.8; minimal pHs ranged from 6.9 to 7.6. The results indicated that when average pH levels fell below 7.5 or minimum pH levels fell below 7.2, growth rates were <50% that of clams deployed under higher pH conditions. Estuarine systems are generally perceived as being well-buffered so pH is frequently assumed to be unimportant, but our results suggest that pH levels can decline in estuarine systems to levels that can adversely affect biological responses. The potential impacts on biological resources of even moderate decreases in pH, particularly in systems that naturally tend to have lower pH conditions, may be more important than previously realized.     

Changes in the mode of Southern Ocean circulation over the last glacial cycle revealed by foraminiferal stable isotopic variability

Benthic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopic records from Southern Ocean sediment cores show that during the last glacial period, the South Atlantic sector of the deep Southern Ocean filled to roughly 2500 m with water uniformly low in δ¹³C, resulting in the appearance of a strong mid-depth nutricline similar to those observed in glacial northern oceans. Concomitantly, deep water isotopic gradients developed between the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean; the δ¹³C of benthic foraminifera in Pacific sediments remained significantly higher than those in the Atlantic during the glacial episode. These two observations help to define the extent of what has become known as the ‘Southern Ocean low δ¹³C problem’. One explanation for this glacial distribution of δ¹³C calls upon surface productivity overprints or changes in the microhabitat of benthic foraminifera to lower glacial age δ¹³C values. We show here, however, that glacial-interglacial δ¹³C shifts are similarly large everywhere in the deep South Atlantic, regardless of productivity regime or sedimentary environment. Furthermore, the degree of isotopic decoupling between the Atlantic and Pacific basins is proportional to the magnitude of δ¹³C change in the Atlantic on all time scales. Thus, we conclude that the profoundly altered distribution of δ¹³C in the glacial Southern Ocean is most likely the result of deep ocean circulation changes. While the characteristics of the Southern Ocean δ¹³C records clearly point to reduced North Atlantic Deep Water input during glacial periods, the basinal differences suggest that the mode of Southern Ocean deep water formation must have been altered as well.     

全球气候变化及其影响

全球气候变化及其对社会与自然系统产生的影响已日益受到全世界各国政府与广大民众的关注。与天气和气候有关的灾害给人类生命财产造成的损失日益增大,社会与生态系统似乎变得日趋脆弱。人们关心刚刚过去的20世纪的天气与气候发生了什么变化,更希望了解未来的21世纪,人类居住的地球会出现什么样的气候情景。根据一些国家和地区的观测记录、研究成果以及科学家们对气候变化的评估与预测展望,对全球气候变化问题进行概括。首先阐明20世纪地区性气候变化的事实;并根据政府间气候变化委员会(IPCC)科学技术报告中关于20世纪全球气候变化进行的总结性评估以及对21世纪全球气候变化的预测,作为阐述过去与未来全球气候变化的主要依据。同时,还介绍了一些科学家对IPCC关于全球气候变化的结论所持的不同观点或质疑。还就气候变化对社会与自然系统可能产生的影响略作论述。     

In Situ Monitoring of Vapor Phase TCE Using a Chemiresistor Microchemical Sensor

A chemiresistor microchemical sensor has been developed to detect and monitor volatile organic compounds in unsaturated and saturated subsurface environments. A controlled study was conducted at the HAZMAT Spill Center at the Nevada Test Site, where the sensor was tested under a range of temperature, moisture, and trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations. The sensor responded rapidly when exposed to TCE placed in sand, and it also responded to decreases in TCE vapor concentration when clean air was vented through the system. Variations in temperature and water vapor concentration impacted baseline chemiresistor signals, but at high TCE concentrations the sensor response was dominated by the TCE exposure. Test results showed that the detection limit of the chemiresistor to TCE vapor in the presence of fluctuating environmental variables (i.e., temperature and water vapor concentration) was on the order of 1000 parts per million by volume, which is about an order of magnitude higher than values obtained in controlled laboratory environments. Automated temperature control and preconcentration is recommended to improve the stability and sensitivity of the chemiresistor sensor.