Dynamic Installation Behaviors of A New Hybrid Plate Anchor in Layered Marine Clay

China Ocean Engineering - Layered soil profiles create challenges for foundation installation and detrimentally affect the foundation performance. This research explored the free-fall penetration...     

Mechanical properties of calcareous silts in a hydraulic fill island-reef

Abstract

The mechanical characteristics of calcareous silt interlayers play an important role in the stability of island-reef foundations. Direct shear and consolidation tests were performed to study the relationship between the mechanical properties and the physical parameters of calcareous silt. Based on the consolidation test results and analysis of the settling examples, different calculation methods for soil settling were compared. The results show the following. (1) The relationship between the cohesion and water content of calcareous silt can be represented by an M-shaped curve. The water contents corresponding to the two peaks of the M-type curve increase with increasing dry density. (2) When the dry density is less than 1.33?g/cm³, increasing the density significantly improves the internal friction angle of calcareous silts. When the dry density of the calcareous silt is greater than 1.33?g/cm³, the internal friction angle is affected by both the dry density and the water content. (3) The shear strength decreases when the water content exceeds the optimum level. (4) The compressive modulus of calcareous silt is larger than that of terrigenous silt. Specifically, it decreases with decreasing dry density and increasing water content. (5) The stepwise loading method should be used to estimate the soil settling before fill engineering construction.     

700年以来冲绳海槽西南部粘土矿物来源及其对沉积环境的响应

利用X射线衍射（XRD）技术对冲绳海槽南部HOBAB4-S2站700年以来的黏土矿物组成以及结晶学特征进行了研究和分析,并对该区的沉积特征、物质来源以及黏土矿物所记录的东亚季风的演化历史进行了探讨。研究发现冲绳海槽南部HOBAB4-S2站黏土矿物组合总体是以伊利石（59–77 %,平均含量69 %）和绿泥石（11–17 %,平均含量14 %）为主,而蒙脱石（5–23 %,平均含量12 %）和高岭石含量（2–6 %,平均含量4 %）则相对较低。通过黏土矿物研究对物源进行分析,发现冲绳海槽南部研究站位的黏土矿物中,蒙脱石主要是来自于长江或者东海大陆架的再沉积。伊利石,绿泥石以及高岭石主要来自于台湾河流,尤其是兰阳溪。蒙脱石/（伊利石+绿泥石）比值的大小可以用来指示东亚夏季风的强弱变化。1320 AD以来的黏土矿物组合的变化较好地记录了部分中世纪暖期后期、小冰期以及现代暖期3个时期在百年时间尺度上的气候波动。该指标显示,相对于中世纪暖期后期,东亚季风强度在小冰期（1405–1850 AD）和在现代暖期（1955 AD）均存在明显的减弱,指示该时期台湾东北部-冲绳海槽南部地区处于相对湿润强降雨的气候环境。     

Quantifying suitable dynamic water levels in marsh wetlands based on hydrodynamic modelling

The water level of marsh wetlands is a dominant force controlling the wetland ecosystem function, especially for aquatic habitat. For different species, water level requirements vary in time and space, and therefore ensuring suitable water levels in different periods is crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity in marsh wetlands. Based on hydrodynamic modelling and habitat suitability assessment, we determined suitable dynamic water levels considering aquatic habitat service at different periods in marsh wetlands. The two-dimensional hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the temporal and spatial variation of water level. The habitat suitability for target species at various water levels was evaluated to obtain the fitting curves between Weighted Usable Area (WUA) and water levels. And then suitable water levels throughout the year were proposed according to the fitting curves. Using the Zhalong Wetland (located in northeastern China) as a case study, we confirmed that the proposed MIKE 21 model can successfully be used to simulate the water level process in the wetland. Suitable water levels were identified as being from 143.9–144.2 m for April to May, 144.1–144.3 m for June to September, and 144.3–144.4 m for October to November (before the freezing season). Furthermore, proposed water diversion schemes have been identified which can effectively sustain the proposed dynamic water levels. This study is expected to provide appropriate guidance for the determination of environmental flows and water management strategies in marsh wetlands.     

A meta-analysis of the impacts of forest logging on soil CO_2 efflux

Soil CO_2 efflux, the second largest flux in a forest carbon budget, plays an important role in global carbon cycling. Forest logging is expected to have large effects on soil CO_2 efflux and carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. However, a comprehensive understanding of soil CO_2 efflux dynamics in response to forest logging remains elusive due to large variability in results obtained across individual studies. Here, we used a meta-analysis approach to synthesize the results of 77 individual field studies to determine the impacts of forest logging on soil CO_2 efflux. Our results reveal that forest logging significantly stimulated soil CO_2 efflux of the growing season by 5.02%. However, averaged across all studies, nonsignificant effect was detected following forest logging. The large variation among forest logging impacts was best explained by forest type, logging type, and time since logging. Soil CO_2 efflux in coniferous forests exhibited a significant increase(4.38%) due to forest logging, while mixed and hardwood forests showed no significant change. Logging type also had a significant effect on soil CO_2 efflux, with thinning increasing soil CO_2 efflux by 12.05%, while clear-cutting decreasing soil CO_2 efflux by 8.63%. The time since logging also had variable effects, with higher soil CO_2 efflux for 2 years after logging, and lower for 3-6 years after logging; when exceeded 6 years, soil CO_2 efflux increased. As significantly negative impacts of forest logging were detected on fine root biomass, the general positive effects on soil CO_2 efflux can be explained by the accelerated decomposition of organic matter as a result of elevated soil temperature and organic substrate quality. Our results demonstrate that forest logging had potentially negative effects on carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.     

Simulations of the Impact of Lakes on Local and Regional Climate Over the Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT

Because of the high elevation and complex topography of the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the role of lakes in the climate system over the Tibetan Plateau is not well understood. For this study, we investigated the impact of lake processes on local and regional climate using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, which includes a one-dimensional physically based lake model. The first simulation with the WRF model was performed for the TP over the 2000–2010 period, and the second was carried out during the same period but with the lakes filled with nearby land-use types. Results with the lake simulation show that the model captures the spatial and temporal patterns of annual mean precipitation and temperature well over the TP. Through comparison of the two simulations, we found that the TP lakes mainly cool the near-surface air, inducing a decreasing sensible heat flux for the entire year. Meanwhile, stronger evaporation produced by the lakes is found in the fall. During the summer, the cooling effect of the lakes decreases precipitation in the surrounding area and generates anomalous circulation patterns. In conclusion, the TP lakes cool the near-surface atmosphere most of the time, weaken the sensible heat flux, and strengthen the latent heat flux, resulting in changes in mesoscale precipitation and regional-scale circulation.     

Characterization of sudden and sustained base flow jump hydrologic behaviour in the humid seasonal tropics of the Panama Canal Watershed

Base flows are important for tropical regions with pronounced dry seasons, which are facing increasing water demands. Base flow generation, however, is one of the most challenging hydrological processes to characterize in the tropics. In many years during the May–December wet season in the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW), base flows in rivers abruptly increase. This increase persists until the start of the December–April dry season. Understanding this unusual base flow jump (BFJ) behaviour is critical to improve water provisioning in the seasonal tropics, especially during droughts and extended dry seasons. This study developed an integrated approach combining piecewise regression on cumulative average base flow and sensitivity analysis to calculate the timing and magnitude of BFJ. Rainfall, forest cover, mean land surface slope, catchment area, and estimated subsurface storage were tested as predictors for the occurrence and magnitude of the BFJs in seven subcatchments of the PCW. Sensitivity analysis on correlated predictors allowed ranking of predictor contributions due to isolated and cross-correlation effects. Correlations between observed BFJs and BFJs predicted by watershed and rainfall-related predictors were 0.92 and 0.65 for BFJ timing and magnitude, respectively. Forest cover was the second most significant predictor after cumulative rainfall for jump magnitude, owing to larger subsurface storage and groundwater recharge in forests than pastures. Catchments in the mountainous eastern PCW always generated larger jumps due to their higher rainfall and greater forest cover than the western PCW catchments. The cross-correlations between predictors contributed to more than 50% of the jump variances. The results demonstrate the importance of rainfall gradient and catchment characteristics in affecting the sudden and sustained BFJs, which can help inform land management decisions intended to enhance water supplies in the tropics. This study underscores the need for more research to further understand the hydrological processes involved in the BFJ phenomenon, including better BFJ models and field characterizations, to help improve tropical ecosystem services under a changing environment.     

Energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration in a sub‐alpine spruce forest ecosystem

In this study, we examined the year 2011 characteristics of energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration of a sub‐alpine spruce forest underlain by permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QPT). Energy balance closure on a half‐hourly basis was H + λE = 0.81 × (R_n ? G ? S) + 3.48 (W m^?2) (r² = 0.83, n = 14938), where H, λE, R_n, G and S are the sensible heat, latent heat, net radiation, soil heat and air‐column heat storage fluxes, respectively. Maximum H was higher than maximum λE, and H dominated the energy budget at midday during the whole year, even in summer time. However, the rainfall events significantly affected energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration. The mean value of evaporative fraction (Λ = λE/(λE + H)) during the growth period on zero precipitation days and non‐zero precipitation days was 0.40 and 0.61, respectively. The mean daily evapotranspiration of this sub‐alpine forest during summer time was 2.56 mm day^?1. The annual evapotranspiration and sublimation was 417 ± 8 mm year^?1, which was very similar to the annual precipitation of 428 mm. Sublimation accounted for 7.1% (30 ± 2 mm year^?1) of annual evapotranspiration and sublimation, indicating that the sublimation is not negligible in the annual water balance in sub‐alpine forests on the QPT. The low values of the Priestley–Taylor coefficient (α) and the very low value of the decoupling coefficient (Ω) during most of the growing season suggested low soil water content and conservative water loss in this sub‐alpine forest. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于滨海环境资源特点的大连旅游承载状态评价

旅游环境承载力涉及多维度属性相互制约影响,而传统方法中对于各属性间影响程度及游客偏好选择的判定则较多依赖于个体的主观感知。因此,针对处理多属性综合评价中存在的模糊性及主观性,提出基于蒙特卡罗模拟修正的模糊综合评价模型。结果表明,借助上述模糊综合评价修正模型针对大连滨海旅游环境承载力进行解释与分析,成功缓解了在模型度量与数据分析环节所出现的主观偏误缺陷,从而有效提升了大连市滨海旅游景区有关阈值综合评价体系的科学性与稳健性。评价结果表明,当前大连市滨海旅游环境承载力状态可以判定为“适载”;在影响滨海旅游环境承载力的6项要素中,游憩环境要素与气候要素的评价分数较高,最低评分数值指标为景区游客管理状态。     

Reconstruction of the Cenozoic deformation of the Bohai Bay Basin,North China

A well‐constrained plate deformation model may lead to an improved understanding of sedimentary basin formation and the connection between subduction history and over‐riding plate deformation. Building quantitative models of basin kinematics and deformation remains challenging often due to the lack of comprehensive constraints. The Bohai Bay Basin (BBB) is an important manifestation of the destruction of the North China Craton, and records the plate kinematic history of East Asia during the Cenozoic. Although a number of interpretations of the formation of the BBB have been proposed, few quantitative basin reconstruction models have been built to test and refine previous ideas. Here, we developed a quantitative deformation reconstruction of the BBB constrained with balanced cross‐sections and structural, stratigraphic and depositional age data. Our reconstruction suggests that the basin formation process was composed of three main stages: Paleocene‐early Eocene (65–42 Ma) extension initiation, middle Eocene‐early Oligocene (42–32.8 Ma) extension climax and post‐Oligocene (32.8–0 Ma) post‐extensional subsidence. The deformation of the BBB is spatially heterogeneous, and its velocity directions rotated clockwise during the basin formation process. The reconstruction supports the interpretation that the BBB formed via strike‐slip faulting and orthogonal extension and that the basin is classified as a composite extensional‐transtensional basin. We argue that the clockwise rotation of the basin velocity field was driven by the counter‐clockwise rotation in the direction of Pacific Plate subduction. The kinematics of the BBB imply that the Pacific Plate may have been sufficiently coupled to the over‐riding East Asian Plate during the critical period of Pacific Plate reorganization. The new reconstruction provides a quantitative basis for studies of deformation processes not only in the vicinity of the BBB, but also more broadly throughout East Asia.