A simple approach to evaluating leakage through thin impervious element of high embankment dams

Internal erosion is the most common reason which induces failure of embankment dams besides overtopping. Relatively large leakage is frequently concentrated at defects of impervious element, and this will lead to eventual failure. The amount of leakage depends not only on integrity of impervious element, but also on dam height, shape of valley, shape of impervious element and water level in reservoir. The integrity of impervious element, which represents the relative level of seepage safety, is not easy to be determined quantitatively. A simple method for generalization of steady seepage state of embankment dams with thin impervious element is proposed in this paper. The apparent overall value of permeability coefficient for impervious element can be obtained by this method with reasonable accuracy and efficiency. A defect parameter of impervious element is defined as an index to characterize seepage safety of embankment dams. It equals the ratio of the apparent overall value of permeability coefficient to the measured value in laboratory for intact materials. Subsequently, seepage safety of three dams is evaluated and the evolution of defect level of impervious element of dams is investigated. It is proved that the newly proposed method in this paper is feasible in the evaluation of relative seepage safety level of embankment dams with thin impervious element.     

Structural Evolution and Hydrocarbon Potential of the Upper Paleozoic Northern Ordos Basin, North China

The hydrocarbon potential of the Hangjinqi area in the northern Ordos Basin is not well known, compared to the other areas of the basin, despite its substantial petroleum system.Restoration of a depth-converted seismic profile across the Hangjinqi Fault Zone(HFZ) in the eastern Hangjinqi area shows one compression that created anticlinal structures in the Late Triassic, and two extensions in ~Middle Jurassic and Late Early Cretaceous, which were interrupted by inversions in the Late Jurassic–Early Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous, respectively.Hydrocarbon generation at the well locations in the Central Ordos Basin(COB) began in the Late Triassic.Basin modeling of Well Zhao-4 suggests that hydrocarbon generation from the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian coal measures of the northern Shanbei Slope peaked in the Early Cretaceous, predating the inversion in the Late Cretaceous.Most source rocks in the Shanbei Slope passed the main gas-migration phase except for the Hangjinqi area source rocks(Well Jin-48).Hydrocarbons generated from the COB are likely to have migrated northward toward the anticlinal structures and traps along the HFZ because the basin-fill strata are dipping south.Faulting that continued during the extensional phase(Late Early Cretaceous) of the Hangjinqi area probably acted as conduits for the migration of hydrocarbons.Thus, the anticlinal structures and associated traps to the north of the HFZ might have trapped hydrocarbons that were charged from the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian coal measures in the COB since the Middle Jurassic.     

Endogenic Au-Ag polymetallic ore deposits and ore-bearing potentiality of strata

The problem of ore-bearing potentiality of the strata involves metallogenic theory and ore-search orientation. Studies of the spatial distribution of endogenic Au-Ag polymetallic ore deposits in North Hebei indicated that the strata in which ore deposits occurred range in age from Paleozoic, Proterozoic to Mesozoic. In addition the ore deposits are characterized as being strata-bound in nature. The arise and establishment of “extracting” viewpoint may be attributed to the following three reasons: 1) influence by the idea of “ore-source bed”; 2) limitation of analytical techniques in the 1980s’ (especially gold element); and 3) a small number of samples (sampling locations were mostly disturbed by mineralization). Studies have shown that ore-forming materials would most probably come from the deep interior of the Earth. Deep-seated ore-bearing materials including Au-Ag polymetals were brought to the shallow levels by way of mantle plume-mantle sub-plume-mantle branch structure multi-stage evolution, finally leading to the formation of ore deposits.     

Do Spur-Throated Grasshoppers, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melanoplus</Emphasis> spp. (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Exert Top-Down Control on Smooth Cordgrass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spartina alterniflora</Emphasis> in Northern New England?

Recently, strong top-down (consumer) control of cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) has been demonstrated. Here, we manipulated the densities of cordgrass consumers, acridid grasshoppers (Melanoplus bivittatus and Melanoplus femurrubrum), to examine their impact on cordgrass in the Plum Island Estuary (PIE), MA, USA. After 1 month, there was no detectable effect of grasshopper density on S. alterniflora biomass and grasshoppers at the highest densities (34 individuals per square meter) consumed only ~14% of the standing stock biomass. However, significant impacts of grasshopper density on grazing damage were seen. For example, plant damage and scarring length increased by 160% and 6,156%, respectively, at the highest grasshopper densities relative to exclusion (zero grasshoppers) densities. Plant height was significantly reduced with increasing grasshopper densities, although this may be a function of leaf tip removal instead of reduced plant growth. No other strong consumers of cordgrass (e.g., Littoraria irrorata, Prokelisia marginata) were observed in PIE and we suggest that consumer regulation of cordgrass is weak in this system.     

Decoupling of stalagmite-derived Asian summer monsoon records from North Atlantic temperature change during marine oxygen isotope stage 5d

The Asian monsoon is an important component of the global climate system. Seasonal variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature associated with the Asian monsoon systems affect a vast expanse of tropical and subtropical Asia. Speleothem-derived summer monsoon variation in East Asia was previously found to be closely associated with millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region between 75 and 10 ka. New evidence recovered from East Asia, however, suggests that the teleconnection between summer monsoon in East Asia and temperature change in the North Atlantic region may have significantly reduced during 120 to ~ 110 ka, a period directly after the full last interglaciation and corresponding roughly to marine oxygen isotope stage 5d. This reduction may be due to the low ice volume in the North Hemisphere at that time, which makes the millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region less effective in influencing the Asian summer monsoon. This is important for investigating the mechanisms controlling the Asian summer monsoon and the paleoclimatic teleconnection between East Asia and the North Atlantic region, and for predicting monsoon-associated precipitation in East Asia under a global-warming trend.     

The activity of silica in kimberlites,revisited

The activity of silica in a silicate liquid in equilibrium with olivine and orthopyroxene decreases with increasing pressure. In contrast, the activity of silica in an unbuffered silicate liquid changes little with pressure. Although the implications of these pressure dependencies have been considered by previous authors in terms of inferring pressures of origin of magmas, less consideration has been given to the implications of these dependencies on the evolution of the magma en route to the surface, or to the mantle through which the magma passes. In this paper, a combination of Schreinemakers’ analysis in isothermal section and calculated reactions in space is used to (a) rationalize the absence of orthopyroxene xenocrysts in kimberlites and the relative abundance of olivine “megacrysts” therein, (b) propose another reason for the paucity of xenocrystic mantle-derived carbonates in kimberlites, (c) explain why clinopyroxene is much less reactive in the kimberlite melt than is orthopyroxene, and (d) explore the implications of the relative stabilities of olivine, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene in kimberlitic magma for the mantle through which the magma transits.

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A precise bathymetric map of the world’s deepest seafloor,Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench

Data from three bathymetric surveys by R/V Kairei using a 12-kHz multibeam echosounder and differential GPS were used to create an improved topographic model of the Challenger Deep in the southwestern part of the Mariana Trench, which is known as the deepest seafloor in the world. The strike of most of the elongated structures related to plate bending accompanied by subduction of the Pacific plate is N70°E and is not parallel to the trench axis. The bending-related structures were formed by reactivation of seafloor spreading fabric. Challenger Deep consists of three en echelon depressions along the trench axis, each of which is 6–10 km long, about 2 km wide, and deeper than 10,850 m. The eastern depression is the deepest, with a depth of 10,920 ± 5 m.     

Long-term (1998–2007) trends on the spatial distribution of heterotrophic ciliates in the East China Sea in summer: effect of the Three Gorges Dam construction

The spatial distribution of heterotrophic ciliates, environmental factors and potential food items (bacteria, Synechococcus spp. and nanoflagellates) were measured in the East China Sea to examine which variables contributed importantly to the long-term distribution of ciliates between 1998 and 2007. In July 1998 and June 2003, heterotrophic ciliates were found to be abundant (1,000–2,000 × 10³ cells m⁻³) in regions where surface salinity <32 but extremely low (<500 × 10³ cells m⁻³) in shelf waters of surface salinity >32. After August 2003, shortly after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, we found no significant areal differences in the abundance of heterotrophic ciliates (HC). However, we found a significantly negative correlation between temperature and HC abundance of surface water after the completion of the dam, suggesting that temperature had a greater influence on HC abundance, once the original saline state had changed. For the long-term trends on the vertical distribution of HC, their abundance was significantly higher in the upper 50 m of the water column than at either 75 or 100 m. Abundance of Synechococcus spp. at these levels varied significantly in regions of surface salinity <32, suggesting that ciliates and picophytoplankton contribute greatly to mediating the transfer of organic matter to higher trophic levels in this marine ecosystem.     

Degradation and utilization of protein derived from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> by marine microbial community

Microbial degradation and utilization of proteins derived from bacterial detritus were investigated in a microcosm experiment using Pseudomonas aeruginosa detritus as a substrate. To assess the effects of natural marine microbial communities on degradation and utilization of protein derived from P. aeruginosa cells, four microcosms were prepared: natural seawater (containing the natural microbial community) with P. aeruginosa detritus (N+Pa), autoclaved seawater with P. aeruginosa detritus (A+Pa), natural seawater (N) and autoclaved seawater (A) without adding anything as a control. The numbers of total and growing bacterial cells, protease activity, and transition of P. aeruginosa proteins were monitored in the four microcosms. Changes in the numbers of total and growing bacterial cells and protease activities indicated that bacterial detritus significantly stimulated the microbial community in the microcosms. Both the surviving P. aeruginosa in A+Pa and natural microbial community in N+Pa microcosms were able to degrade and utilize P. aeruginosa detritus; however, the community in N+Pa including various microbes maintained high activity longer, indicating that diversity is an important factor in keeping the community active. Even under the very high protease activity in N+Pa, 39-kDa and 48-kDa proteins from P. aeruginosa remained in the microcosm during the entire experiment (150 days). Immunoblotting suggested the 48-kDa protein was an intact molecule of OprP, which had been detected from the dissolved fraction of natural seawater in previous studies. This result suggests that the protein molecules that had been detected from natural seawater actually had a high tolerance to microbial degradation.     

春季西沙永乐龙洞浮游植物的昼夜垂直分布特征

南海永乐龙洞位于西沙群岛永乐环礁,是迄今为止发现的最深的海洋蓝洞,水文环境及理化因素特殊,90 m以下水体为无氧环境。为研究永乐龙洞浮游植物的群落组成及其昼夜变化,于2017年3月在龙洞、潟湖及外礁坡进行浮游植物样品采集。研究结果表明:龙洞内叶绿素a浓度呈现随深度先增大后减小的趋势,日间浓度最大值层出现在40 m层(0.42μg/L),夜间则出现在20 m层(0.59μg/L)。永乐龙洞微微型浮游植物丰度介于1.1×10^3~5.1×10^4 cells/mL。聚球藻在上层水体占优势(0~20 m),40 m以下水层原绿球藻丰度对微微型浮游植物丰度贡献率最大(90%以上),微微型真核浮游植物丰度在整个水体都较低(除20 m层)。微微型浮游植物昼夜存在明显差异,夜间其丰度最大值层为20 m层,日间则上移至表层。本研究共记录微型和小型浮游植物5门41属55种(含未定种)。其中,硅藻门25属34种、甲藻门12属15种、金藻门1属1种、蓝藻3属、隐藻1属。微型和小型浮游植物丰度介于3.3×10^2~9.8×10^4 cells/L。甲藻丰度对浮游植物总丰度贡献率最大,其次是硅藻,隐藻和蓝藻丰度仅在少数水层占优势。微型和小型浮游植物昼夜变化明显,夜间丰度最大值层为20 m层,日间则出现在40 m层。微微型、微型和小型浮游植物垂直分布与叶绿素a浓度垂直分布一致性高。龙洞浮游植物的种类数和丰度高于潟湖和外礁坡。