Assessment of disaster resilience capacity of hillslope communities with high risk for geological hazards

This study presents a novel preparedness assessment method for assessing hazard mitigation and environmental planning of hillslope communities. A professional questionnaire was utilized to weight each indicator. Communities in Hsinchu, Taichung and Nantou counties with debris flow hazards were taken as study samples. Debris flow risk and landslide susceptibility for each community were determined using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and logistic regression analysis. Thus, a novel risk assessment method for evaluating disaster resilience capacity of hillslope communities was established. This method was then applied to assess casualties caused by Typhoon Herb in 1996 and Typhoon Mindulle in 2004. Additionally, the analytical results generated by this assessment method were discussed with the aim of developing references for implementation of risk analysis, increasing the effectiveness of disaster mitigation, and reducing future loss of life and property.     

Microbial release of potassium from K-bearing minerals by thermophilic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus

A strain of thermophilic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured with K-bearing minerals to determine if microbe-mineral interactions enhance the release of mineralic potassium. Experiments were carried out in two settings, one with the mineral grains and the fungal cells in direct contact, and the other employing a membrane (pore size 0.22 μm) to separate the two. Measurements over a period of 30 days showed that, irrespective of the experimental setup, the concentration of free K in the culture was drastically higher than those in any of the control experiments where no living organism was present. Moreover, the occurrence of mineral-cell physical contact enhanced potassium release by an additional factor of 3 to 4 in comparison to the separation experiments. For contact experiments, Electron Probe Microanalysis revealed the formation of mycelium-mineral aggregates, and Atomic Force Microscopy imaging further indicated the possible ingestion of mineral particles by the fungus cells. Contrasting to what was observed and expected in control experiments, the potassium solubilization rate showed a positive dependence upon pH when fungi and minerals were mixed directly, and exhibited no correlations with solution acidity if cell-rock contact was restrained. These results appear to suggest that A. fumigatus promoted potassium release by means of at least three likely routes, one through the complexation of soluble organic ligands, another appealing to the immobile biopolymers such as the insoluble components of secretion, and the third related to the mechanical forces in association with the direct physical contact between cells and mineral particles.     

Sorption of Ni on Na-rectorite studied by batch and spectroscopy methods

Sorption of Ni²⁺ on Na-rectorite as a function of contact time, temperature, pH and fulvic acid (FA)/humic acid (HA) was studied under ambient conditions. A pseudo-second-order rate equation was used to simulate the kinetic sorption. The removal of Ni²⁺ increased with increasing pH. The presence of FA/HA enhanced the sorption of Ni²⁺ at low pH values, whereas no drastic effect of FA/HA on Ni²⁺ uptake to rectorite was found at high pH values. The diffuse layer model (DLM) fitted the experimental data of Ni²⁺ sorption in the absence and presence of FA/HA very well with the aid of FITEQL 3.2. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) models were used to simulate the sorption isotherms of Ni²⁺ at different temperatures. The thermodynamic data (ΔH⁰, ΔS⁰, ΔG⁰) were calculated from the temperature dependent sorption isotherms and the results suggested that the sorption process of Ni²⁺ on rectorite was spontaneous and endothermic. The sorption and species of Ni²⁺ on rectorite in the presence and absence of FA/HA was also investigated and characterized by XPS. The spectroscopic analysis indicated no drastic structural changes of Na-rectorite and the sorption of Ni²⁺ mainly occurred on the surface and at the edge position of Na-rectorite.     

Identification of sources and causes of leakage on a zoned earth dam in northern Taiwan: Hydrological and isotopic evidence

Seepage through an earth dam body must be regulated as a well–planned process, if it is not properly managed, the abnormal seepage may cause dam failure. This study employed stable isotopic and statistical methods to identify the source and cause of an abnormal leakage on the zoned earth dam of the Xin–Shan reservoir located in northern Taiwan. Water samples from the dam area over a 2-a period were collected and analyzed for their stable O and H isotope compositions. In addition, a 4-a period of hydrological data, including rainfall, reservoir level, well level, seepage of filter drainage and leakage, were statistically analyzed with a stepwise multiple regression approach. Both the stable isotopic and hydrological results indicate that the abnormal leakage on the dam shell comes from the filter drainage in the dam. The reason for abnormal leakage is due to unexpected and significant precipitation–sourced water flowing into the dam’s body. The dam filter fails to drain out the incoming water sufficiently, thus generating the abnormal seepage. In addition, the defect in the dam filter may also cause the drainage filter to drain off reservoir seepage inadequately. Therefore, it is suggested that checking the filter function and preventing excessive precipitation–sourced water from flowing into the dam are the two top priorities for the follow-up remedial strategy of the dam.     

Biogeochemical characteristics of the Hetai goldfield, Guangdong Province, China

In the Hetai goldfield, Guangdong Province, China, samples including rocks, soils and leaves of four plants (Pinus massoniana, Rhodomyrms tomenlosa, D. linearis var. dichotoma and Embelia laeta) collected from the gold mineralization zone and the background area were analyzed for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, As and physiological parameters. The objective of this investigation is to study the geochemical and biogeochemical characteristics of studied plants, aiming at biogeochemical methods in Au exploration. The goldfield region shows geochemical and biogeochemical anomalies. Abundances of Au in rocks, soils, plants and the leaf pigments in the mineralized area are much higher than those in the surrounding region. The plants display unhealthy physiological and ecological characteristics in the Hetai goldfield area. The cell structures of the goldfield plants were anomalous and aberrant, and there were many nano-metal particles diffused in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Macro- and microscopic evidences of the vegetation in the goldfield areas are distinctly different from the background regions. The strongly anomalies in responses to Au are profound in further geochemical and botanic exploration studies.     

渤海湾盆地新生界生油岩系底界面温度分布

依据渤海湾盆地2000余口测温井的地温梯度数据、地层岩性描述、分层数据以及钻井资料,计算了该盆地各生油岩系底界面的温度。统计结果表明:渤海湾盆地沙河街组大部分凹陷区地层底界面温度介于90℃至150℃,目前仍具有大量生油的温度条件,而在隆起或一些凸起地区,该地层组段温度普遍小于90℃,未能达到生油的温度指标。东营组和孔店组地层也仍具有一定的生油温度条件。研究还表明:地层温度与地层界面埋深密切相关,温度随界面埋深的增大而升高,沉积厚度大的凹陷区地层界面温度大于沉积厚度小的凸起区或斜坡地带,说明地层界面埋深是决定地温高低的主要控制因素,而地温梯度对地层界面温度的影响相对较小。     

祁连山不同植被类型对积雪消融的影响

为研究祁连山植被对积雪消融的影响, 利用人工调查积雪深度逐日变化量和积雪盖度变化, 并结合空气雪面感热通量(SH)观测, 对祁连山水源林生态站排露沟流域海拔2 600～2 700 m青海云杉林、灌丛林、林缘、阳坡草地在2003-2007年的积雪消融进行了研究, 每年的观测从10月降雪开始到翌年5月积雪消融完结束, 共获取数据134 400个. 结果表明: 当SH<0时, 积雪消融停止;当SH>0时, 积雪消融开始;植被可以减缓积雪消融速率, 有植被的地方消融速率减慢, 反之则加快;不同植被消融速率大小顺序为草地>林缘>灌木林>乔木林;同一植被、不同坡向消融速率不同, 半阳坡云杉林＞半阴坡云杉林＞阴坡云杉林. 积雪含水率随气温升高而增大, 1月融化积雪占整个积雪的5%, 2月增大到28%, 大量积雪在3月消融, 占55%. 从坡位看, 下坡消融速率最大;在一个垂直带上, 低海拔消融速率大于高海拔. 温度是影响积雪消融的主要因子, 积雪消融速率随温度升高而增大, 反之则减小.     

舟山国家石油储备基地堆载预压加固效果分析

介绍了舟山国家石油储备基地试验区软基堆载预压大型现场试验结果,根据现场试验测得的数据,分析了软土地基堆载预压下沉降变化规律、分层沉降变化规律、深层土体位移变化规律、超静孔隙水压力变化规律,进一步探讨了根据应力和应变分析得到的地基固结性状,其中通过应变分析得到适用于储备基地的沉降经验系数m。结果表明,打设塑料排水板结合堆载预压处理软弱地基具有良好的效果。     

ADCM测流数据后处理探索

声学多普勒剖面测流(ADCP-Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers)是当今水文领域进行流量测验的新技术.声学多普勒流速仪ADCM(ADCM-Acoustic Doppler Current Meter)用于对水文站点的流量测验,可以实现流速信息采集的自动化,但对收集到信息的后处理提出了新的要求.本文旨在探索采用自主开发程序的方式,建立声学多普勒流速仪速度、断面特性、水位等数据序列的数学模型,进而实现ADCM洲流数据快速后处理.     

真空堆载联合预压加固软基中孔隙水压力消散规律研究

通过实测资料分析了真空堆载联合预压中不同深度的孔隙水压力、超孔隙水压力、相对超孔隙水压力随时间的变化规律,并对孔压变化的原因进行了微观解释。结果表明:(1)处理区外侧,孔压变化主要由地下水位下降引起,受真空影响较小;(2)在处理区内,孔压变化受真空负压、土体渗透性和堆载荷载的影响。真空作用下的渗流是孔压消散的主要方式,土体渗透性的强弱影响着孔压消散的速度,消散的孔压转化成有效应力,促使土颗粒移动,对孔隙水产生挤压,这使孔压消散呈脉动性特征。