Enigmatic clastic pipe swarms and implications for fluidization dynamics in aeolian deposits

Soft‐sediment deformation of contorted and massive sandstone is common throughout much of the siliciclastic record, but clastic pipes represent a distinctive class of pressurized synsedimentary features. Remarkable centimetre to metre‐scale clastic pipe exposures in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone of Utah (USA) establish a range of pipe sizes, expressions and relationships to the host rock in an erg margin setting, traditionally thought to be just a dry desert system. In particular, the field and laboratory characterizations of cylindrical pipes show internal concentric, annular rings that imply water fluidization, with alignment of long grain axes due to shear flow along pipe margins. Central interior parts of decimetre‐scale pipes appear massive in plan view, but display weakly developed pseudobedding from post‐pressure release, gravitational settling in the cross‐sectional view. Deformation features of conjugate fractures, ring faults, hypotrochoid patterns (geometric arcs and circles) and breccia in the host material reflect both brittle and ductile behaviour in response to the fluidization and injection of the clastic pipes. The stratigraphic context of individual pipes and the stratabound intervals of pipe features imply dynamic deformation nearly coincident with deposition in this Early Jurassic aeolian system related to multiple factors of groundwater expulsion, timing and local host sediment properties that influenced pipe development. Although the pipe features might be easily overlooked as a smaller scale feature of soft‐sediment deformation in dune deposits, these are valuable environmental indications of disrupted fluid pathways within porous, reservoir quality sands, associated with possible combinations of periodic springs, high water‐table conditions and strong ground‐motion events. These pipe examples may be important analogues where exposures are not so clear, with applications to diverse modern and ancient clastic settings internationally on Earth as well as in planetary explorations such as on Mars.     

Development of a GPGPU-parallelized hybrid finite-discrete element method for modeling rock fracture

The hybrid finite-discrete element method (FDEM) is widely used for engineering applications, which, however, is computationally expensive and needs further development, especially when rock fracture process is modeled. This study aims to further develop a sequential hybrid FDEM code formerly proposed by the authors and parallelize it using compute unified device architecture (CUDA) C/C++ on the basis of a general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) for rock engineering applications. Because the contact detection algorithm in the sequential code is not suitable for GPGPU parallelization, a different contact detection algorithm is implemented in the GPGPU-parallelized hybrid FDEM. Moreover, a number of new features are implemented in the hybrid FDEM code, including the local damping technique for efficient geostatic stress analysis, contact damping, contact friction, and the absorbing boundary. Then, a number of simulations with both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions are conducted using the GPGPU-parallelized hybrid FDEM, and the obtained results are compared both quantitatively and qualitatively with those from either theoretical analysis or the literature to calibrate the implementations. Finally, the speed-up performance of the hybrid FDEM is discussed in terms of its performance on various GPGPU accelerators and a comparison with the sequential code, which reveals that the GPGPU-parallelized hybrid FDEM can run more than 128 times faster than the sequential code if it is run on appropriate GPGPU accelerators, such as the Quadro GP100. It is concluded that the GPGPU-parallelized hybrid FDEM developed in this study is a valuable and powerful numerical tool for rock engineering applications.     

Adsorption of brilliant green from aqueous solution by unmodified and chemically modified Tarap (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Artocarpus odoratissimus</Emphasis>) peel

Tarap peel (TP) and oxalic-acid-modified Tarap peel (TP-OX) were used to remove brilliant green (BG) dye from aqueous solution. Surface modification of TP suggested that functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino were involved in the adsorption of BG onto TP. Parameters such as effects of pH, contact time, ionic strength, initial dye concentration and temperature were included to study the adsorption of BG onto TP and TP-OX. Adsorption isotherm models were used to investigate the adsorption process, while kinetics models were used to provide insight into the adsorption mechanisms. Optimised contact time of 2 h with no pH adjustment was used. Adsorption of BG onto TP was best fitted to the Freundlich model, while experimental data for TP-OX are best described by the Tempkin model. The maximum adsorption capacities were determined as 174 and 275 mg g^?1 for TP and TP-OX, respectively. Thermodynamics study indicated the endothermic nature of adsorptions of BG onto both adsorbents. According to kinetics study, the adsorption mechanisms on both adsorbents followed pseudo-second-order model, and film diffusion might have major role in the adsorption process.     

勘察设计招投标中存在的问题分析及建议

本文分析了现行的勘察设计招投标中存在的亟待解决的问题，并提出了相应的对策和建议。     

南水北调中线工程对汉江中下游的水文情势影响分析

为更好地开展南水北调中线工程对汉江中下游水华生态环境问题的量化研究,分析了调水工程对汉江中下游水文情势的影响.基于仙桃断面的流量数据,计算分析了调水145亿m3后有、无引江济汉工程两种方案下的流量特征值的变化,并应用分形理论分析了调水前后多年月平均径流过程线的形态特征.结果表明:调水工程对汉江中下游的水文情势有明显影响,主要表现为:径流年内分配趋于均匀化,径流年内集中度变小,径流年内相对变化幅度变小,径流过程线峰谷差变小,引江济汉工程使这些变化更显著;各种历时(年、枯期、汛期)平均流量均变小、旬平均流量极小值变小,引江济汉工程对这些变化起补偿作用.由于汉江水华的暴发期集中在枯水期,由调水工程引起的枯期流量减小以及旬流量极小值变小必然对汉江水华的爆发起到促进作用.     

Cross-border regional development in Southern China

Cross-border zones have been developed rapidly in China since 1979. This was largely due to the global economic restructuring in the post-Fordist era. The enclave of Hong Kong plays an indispensable role in the process. While China adopts the Open Door Policy, factories in Hong Kong are quick to relocate to the Pearl River Delta region in order to benefit from the low production costs and other preferential policies. The paper first reviews the factors leading to the economic integration between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region of southern China. It then examines the sectoral changes and the socio-economic data of the region. Rapid urbanization and rural urbanization are reflected in the quest for infrastructural development plans and the loss of quality farmland. They also bring along environmental hazards. The paper concludes with the call for a comprehensive development strategy for the region into the next century. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Desorption of Ba and226Ra from river-borne sediments in the Hudson estuary

The pronounced desorption of Ba and²²⁶Ra from river-borne sediments in the Hudson estuary can be explained quantitatively by the drastic decrease in the distribution coefficients of both elements from a fresh to a salty water medium. The desorption in estuaries can augment, at least, the total global river fluxes of dissolved Ba and²²⁶Ra by one and nine times, respectively. The desorptive flux of²²⁶Ra from estuaries accounts for 17–43% of the total²²⁶Ra flux from coastal sediments. Two mass balance models depicting mixing and adsorption-desorption processes in estuaries are discussed.     

Metal contents of the two marine algae found on iron ore tailings

The two marine algae, Chaetomorpha brychagona and Enteromorpha crinita are found abundantly on the iron ore tailings of Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong, with a rather high level of various metals. Tissue analysis of the algae revealed that the contents of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) were higher than in the population collected from the two uncontaminated sites far away from the tailings. It was suggested that the algae were able to adapt to such a harsh environment with a comparatively high level of trace elements and the lack of basic nutrients. However, further studies are needed before any conclusion can be drawn. The delicate situation of the land-locked sea, Tolo Harbour, where the tailings and future heavy industrial site are situated, should not be overlooked.     

The role of land use on the local climate and air quality during calm inter-monsoon in a tropical city

The modification of land use is known to be a major climate change driver to the local warming and air quality in cities. Despite the reduction of NOx over the years, the Selangor state has captured a higher level of O_3 in year 2011. The measurement result has shown that the surge in O_3 level was attributed to the reduction of NO_x/NMHC ratio. This paper hence attempted to identify the role of land use change from 1999 to 2011 on the ground ozone air quality in the tropical urban conurbation, Greater Kuala Lumpur(GKL), Selangor, Malaysia. With the state-of-the-art chemical weather prediction tool, WRFChem, the external synoptic factors and emission inventory were controlled when comparing the chronological land use changes. The results showed that the urban-induced temperature and wind bias in the tropical region has induced stronger wind to disperse the NO_x and carries the TVOC from the suburban to the downwind urban region. The reduction of NO_x/TVOC has gradually shifted towards the optimum O_3 formation regime in 2011. The formation of highly concentrated ozone becomes more sensitive to the increment of TVOC as the NO_x level reduces in the urban. This highlights the essential involvement of TVOC in the ozone formation in lieu of the NOx reduction in the tropical city, a region with growing emitter of reactive biogenic ozone precursors.     

Distribution patterns and controlling factors for reservoir characteristic difference of oolitic shoals,Feixian’guan Formation,eastern Longgang area,SW China

In eastern Longgang area of northeastern Sichuan Basin, the Kaijiang-Liangping trough was deposited with and leveled up by Feixian’guan sediments, where oolitic shoals exhibit progradation and upward migration. These oolitic shoals are classified into oolitic dolostone shoals and oolitic limestone shoals. The dolostone shoals occur within a narrow belt along Changxingian platform margin where the thickness of one single layer can be large; however, the cumulative thickness is rather small. On the contrary, the limestone shoals spread widely along shifted platform margin and is characterized by small thickness of one single layer and large cumulative thickness. Diagenesis has been found to play an important role in oolitic reservoir properties. The origin of low porosity and permeability in this extensive oolitic limestone reservoirs was attributed to burial cementation, while diagenetic processes, such as, reflux and hydrothermal dolomitization, have been identified as the primary factors for generating high-grade oolitic dolostones. Feixian’guan reservoir is characterized by low matrix porosity (which usually ranges from 2 to 3%). Existence of fractures may improve overall porosity and permeability of these reservoirs. The direct influence of these fractures may be to connect originally isolated pores to form a better connected pore-fracture system. Additionally, the fractures may have facilitated the migration of the organic acids that are associated with oil and gas, to help further enhance the quality of the reservoir through corrosion.