Aeolian abrasion and modes of fine particle production from natural red dune sands: an experimental study

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the potential for aeolian abrasion of natural dune sands to produce fine particles (< 125 µm) by (1) the release of resident fines; (2) spalling, chipping and breakage of particles; and (3) the removal of grain surface coatings. Parent samples were obtained from the surfaces of four active continental dunes and abraded using a glass ‘test tube’ chamber for up to 120 h. The fine particles produced by this abrasion process were trapped at varying time intervals and subject to detailed particle‐size analyses using a Coulter Multisizer. The abrasion of untreated parent samples produced fine particles in one of two main size classes, < 10 µm and > 50 µm, but when the parent sample was sieved to exclude particles < 250 µm, relatively more material in the range 10–50 µm was produced. For unsieved parent samples, the size range associated with the dominant mode varied according to the length of the abrasion time. The coarsest mode (> 63 µm) was dominant during the first 16 h of abrasion, then became less significant and is thought to be associated with the release of resident fines into suspension. The finest mode (< 10 µm) was absent or very weak during the first 16 h of abrasion, then became more significant and, in some instances, dominated the distribution as abrasion continued. Removal of grain surface coatings is the main source of fine material < 10 µm, and this may be a significant source of fine material in areas where sands are dominated by subrounded and rounded particles. By comparison with previous studies of aeolian particle abrasion, these natural dune sands produced very low quantities of fine material (by weight), but their spatial extent makes them potentially a significant source of dust‐sized particles at the global scale.     

Estuary/ocean exchange and tidal mixing in a Gulf of Maine Estuary: A Lagrangian modeling study

A Lagrangian particle method embedded within a 2-D finite element code, is used to study the transport and ocean–estuary exchange processes in the well-mixed Great Bay Estuarine System in New Hampshire, USA. The 2-D finite element model, driven by residual, semi-diurnal and diurnal tidal constituents, includes the effects of wetting and drying of estuarine mud flats through the use of a porous medium transport module. The particle method includes tidal advection, plus a random walk model in the horizontal that simulates sub-grid scale turbulent transport processes. Our approach involves instantaneous, massive [O(500,000)] particle releases that enable the quantification of ocean–estuary and inter-bay exchanges in a Markovian framework. The effects of the release time, spring–neap cycle, riverine discharge and diffusion strength on the intra-estuary and estuary–ocean exchange are also investigated.The results show a rather dynamic interaction between the ocean and the estuary with a fraction of the exiting particles being caught up in the Gulf of Maine Coastal Current and swept away. Three somewhat different estimates of estuarine residence time are calculated to provide complementary views of estuary flushing. Maps of residence time versus release location uncover a strong spatial dependency of residence time within the estuary that has very important ramifications for local water quality. Simulations with and without the turbulent random walk show that the combined effect of advective shear and turbulent diffusion is very effective at spreading particles throughout the estuary relatively quickly, even at low (1 m²/s) diffusivity. The results presented here show that a first-order Markov Chain approach has applicability and a high potential for improving our understanding of the mixing processes in estuaries.     

Cadmium and phosphorus cycling in the water column of the South China Sea: The roles of biotic and abiotic particles

The concentrations of cadmium, phosphorus, and aluminum in size-fractionated phytoplankton, zooplankton, and sinking particles are determined using ICPMS to evaluate the roles of biotic and abiotic particles on the cycling and ratios of Cd and P in the water column. Plankton were collected with a filtration apparatus equipped with 10-, 60-, and 150-μm aperture plankton nets on two occasions (2002 and 2006), and sinking particles were sampled by moored sediment traps deployed at depths of 120, 600, and 3500 m from 2004 to 2005. In contrast to what our previous study revealed, i.e., that most of the other bioactive trace metals in plankton were strongly correlated with abiotic Al and adsorbed on phytoplankton [Ho, T.Y., Wen, L.S., You, C.F., Lee, D.C., 2007. The trace metal composition of size-fractionated plankton in the South China Sea: biotic versus abiotic sources. Limnol Oceanogr 52, 1776–88.], Cd/P ratios, ranging from 0.12 to 0.34 mmol/mol P, did not vary with Al and exhibited fairly consistent values among different sizes of plankton, showing that Cd was mostly incorporated on an intracellular basis. In terms of the sinking particles, fluxes in Cd and P as well as in Cd/P ratios were strongly influenced by both biotic and abiotic particles. Overall, the Cd/P ratios in the sinking particles ranged from 0.03 to 1.2 mmol/mol, with the highest value observed in traps at 120 m during the productive season. The lowest value was observed in deep water during high flux periods for lithogenic particles. At surface depth, flux and Cd/P ratios were elevated during the most productive season in the region. The elevated ratios in the traps at 120 m were most likely related to preferential uptake of Cd for the dominant species (coccolithophores) during the productive period. Relatively, Cd/P ratios sharply decreased with increasing Al flux in deep water and ratios were much lower than the expected Cd/P ratios obtained from the relative portion of lithogenic and biogenic particles, indicating that the adsorption of soluble P into lithogenic particles was significant in the deep water during high lithogenic particle flux periods. Using averaged annual fluxes and standing stock in the water column, the residence time of biogenic Cd and P are 0.10 and 0.20, 250 and 100, and 9100 and 5000 years respectively in the top 120 m, 600 m, and water column as a whole, also showing preferential removal for Cd in the euphotic zone but relatively higher removal rates for P in the deep water. Our study suggests that the shift in microalgal community structure along with input of lithogenic minerals are both potentially important factors in influencing Cd/P ratios in oceanic water on a geological time scale.     

Surveillance of Invasive Bacterial Pathogens and Human Enteric Viruses in Wastewater Final Effluents and Receiving Water Bodies – a Case Study from Durban,South Africa

The physico‐chemical characteristics and microbial composition of the final effluents of two municipal wastewater treatment plants in South Africa were assessed between July and September 2009. The impact of the treated final effluents on the receiving water bodies was also evaluated. The temperature across all sampling points ranged between 14 and 22°C, while pH varied from 6.9 to 7.6. High levels of turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and orthophosphate (PO₄) were observed in many cases. Turbidity of the samples was in the range of 2.2–288.6 NTU. The concentrations (mg/L) of other physico‐chemical parameters are as follows: COD (9.33–289); ammonia (0.000340–45.4); nitrate (0.062–539); nitrite (0.021–22.6); PO₄ (5.3–33.2). The microbial quality of the effluents discharged from the plants did not comply with the limits set by the South African guidelines with respect to pathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli, total coliform, faecal coliform, enterococci, faecal streptococci, and viral particles for effluents intended for discharge into receiving watersheds. This study revealed an undesirable impact on the physico‐chemical and microbial qualities of the receiving water bodies as a result of the discharge of inadequately treated effluents from the wastewater treatment facilities. This poses a health risk to several rural communities which rely on the receiving water bodies primarily as their sources of domestic water and recreational purposes. There is therefore a need for the intervention of appropriate regulatory agencies in South Africa to ensure compliance of treatment facilities with wastewater effluent quality standards.     

单裂缝不同传播方向Krauklis波振幅变化的实验研究

裂缝广泛分布于地壳岩石中并具有多尺度的特点,研究地震波在裂缝介质中的传播规律具有重要的科学意义和应用价值.含流体的裂缝中传播的Krauklis波（也曾被称为慢流体波、裂缝波、斯通利导波等）近年来逐渐成为地球物理学界的研究热点之一.本研究利用地震物理模型技术研究横波在单裂缝样品中传播时随传播方向变化的响应特征,在实验室用环氧树脂为基质构建模型样品,一个为不含裂缝的参考样品,一个为含直径30 mm、厚度0.2 mm的薄币状单裂缝的模型,利用0.5 MHz换能器测试了横波在模型中传播时透射信号的特征.实验结果显示在单裂缝样品中透射横波发生了波形的畸变和振幅降低,振幅谱显示透射信号的主频明显降低,在初至横波之后为具有一定能量的尾波.对尾波进行时频分析,发现在方位角较小时尾波能量较弱而方位角较大时尾波能量较强,尾波中信号的主频在0.1 MHz左右,与前人理论和实验研究结果一致.

     

Investigation of upper crust anisotropy in Ghaen-Birjand region, east-central Iran

IntroductionWhenpropagatingthroughananisotropicmedium,ashearwavesplitsintotwo(quasi)shearwaveswithdifferentpropagationspeedsandpolarizedorthogonally.Owingtotherecentdevel-opmentofseismicobservationsystem,detectionofshearwavessplittingwithverysmalldelaytimesbetweenfasterandslowershearwavesbecameavailableandprovidedpowerfulapproachfordetectionofcrustalanisotropy.Crampin(1978)emphasizedtheroleofalignedmicrocracksasacauseofcrustalanisotropyandpointedoutthatforverticallyalignedmicrocracksthedirecti…     

黄海绿潮应急溯源数值模拟初步研究

基于三维全动力POM 海洋模式, 根据2008 年6 月1 日海监飞机监测绿潮所在位置, 采用拉格朗日粒子追踪法反向积分, 追溯绿潮来源。数值模拟结果显示, 回溯至5 月中旬, 绿潮主要来源于黄海南部江苏连云港和盐城近海海域。黄海绿潮溯源数值模拟, 为政府相关部门了解绿潮的源头, 并采取相应的措施提供依据, 进而为保护生态环境、防灾减灾做贡献。     

2016年夏季南海海盆水体颗粒物粒径分布特征*

颗粒物粒径分布(Particle Size Distribution, PSD)代表了颗粒物浓度与颗粒物粒径之间的关系, 影响着海洋生态环境和水体光学特性等。文章基于2016年夏季航次调查的生物光学剖面数据, 研究了南海海盆海域PSD的分布特征。研究发现, 幂律函数可以较好地拟合南海海盆区域的PSD, 对数空间中的实测的PSD与模拟的PSD平均决定系数高达0.95。PSD斜率(ξ)的分布范围为[1.27, 7.65], 均值为3.93±0.56。南海海盆区域表层水体的ξ均值与全球大洋表层水体的ξ均值相近, 但高于海湾等表层水体的ξ均值。ξ能较好地表征颗粒物平均粒径D_A的大小, 两者存在明显负相关关系, 即ξ值越高, D_A越小; 反之, D_A越大。通过分析T1断面的生物光学剖面数据及总体平均的PSD剖面数据, 发现PSD剖面分布特征如下: 1)表层水体的ξ值相对较高, 且D_A值相对较低, 推测可能是由于微微型藻类为主导颗粒物所致; 2) ξ值极小值层出现在次表层叶绿素浓度极大值层(Subsurface Chlorophyll Maximum Layer, SCML)中, 并伴随D_A极大值层的出现, 其原因可能是SCML中的大粒径浮游植物占比显著增加; 3)弱光层中的ξ值较SCML中的高, 但略低于表层的ξ值, 而D_A则位于表层与SCML的D_A之间, 这可能与浮游植物及其碎屑的絮凝、分解、沉降等过程相关。PSD特征影响着海水的固有光学特性, 分析发现: 由于SCML中的叶绿素浓度增加, 颗粒物散射系数(b_p(532))和颗粒物后向散射系数(b_bp(532))也相应呈现显著增加的趋势。弱光层中的平均b_p(532)与平均b_bp(532)最小。ξ与颗粒物衰减光谱斜率之间呈高分散性, Boss 等(2001b)的模型适合用于粗略估算区域性的ξ分布范围及均值。     

基于拉格朗日拟序结构的吕宋海峡表层水交换研究

黑潮通过吕宋海峡入侵南海呈现明显的瞬态特征。以往的研究通常将黑潮在吕宋海峡附近的流态分为几种不同类型。本文基于表层地转流计算得到的有限时间李雅普诺夫指数场（FTLE）,展示了拉格朗日视角下的吕宋海峡上层水交换特征。从FTLE场提取的拉格朗日拟序结构（LCSs）很好地识别了吕宋海峡附近的典型流态和旋涡活动。此外,这些LCSs还揭示了吕宋海峡周围复杂的输运路径和流体域,这些特征得到了卫星跟踪浮标轨迹的验证,且从流速场中是无法直接识别的。FTLE场显示,吕宋海峡附近表层水体的输运形态主要可分为四类。其中,黑潮直接向北流动的“跨越”形态和顺时针旋转的“流套”形态的发生频次明显高于直接进入南海的黑潮分支“渗入”形态和南海水流出至太平洋的“外流”形态。本文还进一步分析了黑潮在吕宋海峡处的涡旋脱落事件,突出强调了LCSs在评估涡旋输运方面的重要性。反气旋涡旋的脱落个例表明,这些涡旋主要源自黑潮“流套”,涡旋脱落之前可有效地俘获黑潮水。LCS所指示的输运通道信息有助于预测最终被反气旋涡所挟卷水体在上游的位置。而在气旋涡的形成过程中,LCS的分布特征表明,大部分气旋涡并未与黑潮水的输运路径相连通。因此,气旋涡对从太平洋到南海的上层水交换的贡献较小。     

Relationship between biogeochemical features of biogenic elements and flocculation in the Changjiang Estuary

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