Piecewise prediction model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events on the Loess Plateau,China

Establishing a universal watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield prediction model represents a frontier field in erosion and soil/water conservation. The research presented here was conducted on the Chabagou watershed, which is located in the first sub‐region of the hill‐gully area of the Loess Plateau, China. A back‐propagation artificial neural model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield was established, with the accuracy of the model, then compared with that of multiple linear regression. The sensitivity degree of various factors to erosion and sediment yield was quantitatively analysed using the default factor test. On the basis of the sensitive factors and the fractal information dimension, the piecewise prediction model for erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events was established and further verified. The results revealed the back‐propagation artificial neural network model to perform better than the multiple linear regression model in terms of predicting the erosion modulus, with the former able to effectively characterize dynamic changes in sediment yield under comprehensive factor conditions. The sensitivity of runoff erosion power and runoff depth to the erosion and sediment yield associated with individual rainfall events was found to be related to the complexity of surface topography. The characteristics of such a hydrological response are thus closely related to topography. When the fractal information dimension is greater than the topographic threshold, the accuracy of prediction using runoff erosion power is higher than that of using runoff depth. In contrast, when the fractal information dimension is smaller than the topographic threshold, the accuracy of prediction using runoff depth is higher than that of using runoff erosion power. The developed piecewise prediction model for watershed‐scale erosion and sediment yield of individual rainfall events, which introduces runoff erosion power and runoff depth using the fractal information dimension as a boundary, can be considered feasible and reliable and has a high prediction accuracy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of expansion ratio on the critical Reynolds number in single fracture flow with sudden expansion

Flow in a single fracture (SF) is an important research subject in groundwater hydrology, hydraulic engineering, radioactive nuclear waste repository and geotechnical engineering. An abruptly changing aperture is a unique type of SF. This study discusses the relation between the values of the critical Reynolds number (Re_c) for the onset of symmetry breaking of flow and the expansion ratio (E) of SF, which is defined as the ratio between the outlet (D) and inlet (d) apertures. This study also investigates the effect of inlet aperture d on Re_c for flow in an SF with abruptly changing apertures (SF‐ACA) using the finite volume method. Earlier numerical and experimental results showed that flow is symmetric in respect to the central plane of the SF‐ACA at small Reynolds number (Re) but becomes asymmetric when Re is sufficiently large. Our simulations show that the value of Re_c decreases with the increasing E, and the relationship between the logarithm of Re_c and E can be described accurately using either a quadratic polynomial function or a logarithmic function. However, the relationship of Re_c and d for a given E value is vague, and Re_c becomes even less sensitive to d when E increases. This study also reveals that the hydraulic gradient (J) and flow velocity (v) follow a super‐linear relationship that can be fitted almost perfectly by the Forchheimer equation. The inertial component (J_i) of J increases monotonically with Re, whereas the viscous component (J_v) of J decreases monotonically with Re. The Re value corresponding to equal inertial and viscous components of J (named as the transitional point Re) decreases when E increases, and such a transitional point Re should be closely related to the critical Reynolds number Re_c, although a rigorous theoretical proof is not yet available. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New graphical methods for estimating aquifer hydraulic parameters using pumping tests with exponentially decreasing rates

Actual pumping tests may involve continuously decreasing rates over a certain period of time, and the hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (S_s) of the tested confined aquifer cannot be interpreted from the classical constant‐rate test model. In this study, we revisit the aquifer drawdown characteristics of a pumping test with an exponentially decreasing rate using the dimensionless analytical solution for such a variable‐rate model. The drawdown may decrease with time for a short period of time at intermediate pumping times for such pumping tests. A larger ratio of initial to final pumping rate and a smaller radial distance of the observation well will enhance the decreasing feature. A larger decay constant results in an earlier decrease, but it weakens the extent of such a decrease. Based on the proposed dimensionless transformation, we have proposed two graphical methods for estimating K and S_s of the tested aquifer. The first is a new type curve method that does not employ the well function as commonly done in standard type curve analysis. Another is a new analytic method that takes advantage of the decreasing features of aquifer drawdown during the intermediate pumping stage. We have demonstrated the applicability and robustness of the two new graphical methods for aquifer characterization through a synthetic pumping test.     

Significance of shallow core transects for reef models and sea‐level curves,Heron Reef,Great Barrier Reef

A sequence of shallow reef cores from Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef, provides new insights into Holocene reef growth models. Isochron analysis of a leeward core transect suggests that the north‐western end of Heron Reef reached current sea‐level by ca 6·5 kyr bp and then prograded leeward at a rate of ca 19·6 m/kyr between 5·1 kyr and 4·1 kyr bp (pre‐1950) to the present reef margin. A single short core on the opposing margin of the reef is consistent with greater and more recent progradation there. Further to the east, one windward core reached modern sea‐level by ca 6·3 kyr bp , suggesting near ‘keep‐up’ behaviour at that location, but the opposing leeward margin behind the lagoon reached sea‐level much more recently. Hence, Heron Reef exhibited significantly different reef growth behaviour on different parts of the same margin. Mean reef accretion rates calculated from within 20 m of one another in the leeward core transect varied between ca 2·9 m and 4·7 m/kyr depending on relative position in the prograding wedge. These cores serve as a warning regarding the use of isolated cores to inform reef growth rates because apparent aggradation at any given location on a reef varies depending on its location relative to a prograding margin. Only transects of closely spaced cores can document reef behaviour adequately so as to inform reef growth models and sea‐level curves. The cores also emphasize potential problems in U‐series dates for corals within a shallow (ca 1·5 m) zone beneath the reef flat. Apparent age inversions restricted to that active diagenetic zone may reflect remobilization and concentration of Th in irregularly distributed microbialites or biofilms that were missed during sample vetting. Importantly, the Th‐containing contaminant causes ages to appear too old, rather than too young, as would be expected from younger cement.     

内蒙古自治区重要矿种成矿规律综述

2007~2013年开展的内蒙古矿产资源潜力评价项目,对铁、铜、铅锌、金、银、钨、钼、铬、镍等重要矿种进行了区域成矿规律总结,为矿产资源潜力评价提供了基础资料。文章即是对该项工作部分成果的概括总结。主要进展包括:在全国Ⅲ级成矿区带划分的基础上,首次进行了覆盖全自治区的Ⅳ级成矿亚带的划分,共划分出34个Ⅳ级成矿亚带;对内蒙古铁、铜等11个重要矿种的主要矿床类型及成矿特征进行了概述,对其时空分布规律做了归纳,认为全区70%以上的矿床数量和资源储量均集中在Ⅲ_5、Ⅲ_6、Ⅲ_8、Ⅲ_10和Ⅲ_11五个成矿区带。此外,不同矿种甚至同一矿种,由于成矿地质背景的差异,在不同的三级区带中的分布也不一样。主要成矿期为元古宙和中生代,次为太古宙和晚古生代,不同矿种的重要成矿期也不完全相同。从区域演化的角度探讨了构造与成矿的关系,认为不同的构造演化阶段形成不同的矿床类型和不同矿种的矿床,其中,古大陆边缘裂谷带以白云鄂博式铁_稀土元素矿床为代表,而大兴安岭岩浆岩带则以产出与燕山期中酸性火山侵入杂岩有关的多金属矿产为特点。     

三塘湖盆地石炭系卡拉岗组火山岩岩相研究

三塘湖盆地石炭系卡拉岗组火山岩岩性揭示该区火山岩岩相主要包括火山爆发相、溢流相,火山沉积相不发育。为了明确不同岩相分布规律,本文系统利用测井、地质、地震等多种资料,建立测井岩性识别模板,以单井相作为约束,开展地震反演,明确火山岩岩相的平面分布规律。研究结果表明:该区火山喷发方式以裂隙式为主,火山口呈串珠状沿主断裂排列;溢流相平面呈层状分布,溢流相安山岩最为发育。研究结果可有效指导该区火山岩油藏的勘探评价工作,同时为火山岩岩相研究提供可借鉴的研究思路。     

遥感综合信息在宁芜地区找矿预测中的应用

为了研究宁芜北段火山岩盆的矿产资源潜力及空间分布,本文以Landsat8中分辨率遥感数据及Pleiades1高分辨率遥感数据为数据源,综合运用目视解译法和多种遥感图像增强技术,结合区域成矿地质背景,对研究区进行了遥感影像解译,提取了与预测矿种密切相关的线、环、色、带、块遥感五要素。通过分析遥感五要素矿产地质特征与矿产点分布关系表明,研究区内的铁铜硫金矿床及星罗棋布的矿点大部分位于构造岩浆成矿亚带中,受区内北东向、东西向、北西向及其它断裂纵横交叉形成的断裂网格及火山机构控制,大多分布在数条断裂带交汇位置,另有一些分布在断裂带与环形构造的交汇处附近。基于主要的矿点受区内断裂网格及火山机构控制,遥感图像的综合地质信息特征与找矿目标紧密相联,说明了基于遥感图像的综合信息可以作为找矿预测的标志。     

绿柱石与硅铍石原位结晶实验研究

绿柱石与硅铍石均为铍矿物家族中的主要成员,是重要的工业铍矿物,利用背散射和电子探针研究矿物特性时,常可见两者共生或发生交代的现象（饶灿,2009;Reyf, 2008; Evensen, 1999）,其结晶条件对于成矿环境与成矿机制均具有重要的指示意义。前人已进行了关于绿柱石,硅铍石等铍矿物稳定性的实验研究,但研究多采用高温淬火的高温高压实验装置,误差大,且无法原位观测矿物结晶习性（王振杰, 1992;Sirbescu et al., 2009）,本文利用热液金刚石压腔,原位观测了绿柱石与硅铍石的结晶过程,得到了它们结晶的温压条件及结晶习性。