Submarine debris flow impact on pipelines — Part I: Experimental investigation

Estimating the impact forces exerted by a submarine debris flow on a pipeline is a challenge, and there is room for considerably more work to advance the state of the art. To this end, an experimental program was performed to investigate the impact on two pipeline installation scenarios: 1) suspended pipeline and 2) laid-on-seafloor pipeline. The results and observations from the experimental investigation are discussed. The definition of Reynolds number was modified for non-Newtonian fluids and an ad hoc method was developed to estimate the drag force exerted by an impact perpendicular to the pipe axis. The method may be used in prototype situations to estimate the drag force from submarine debris flow impact on pipelines. The experimental program was complemented by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses, the details of which are discussed in the accompanying paper.     

矿山泥石流沟谷形态的分形分维

以2个区域的矿山泥石流为背景,利用分形理论分析了矿山泥石流沟谷形态特征,并与4个区域的自然泥石流沟谷形态进行比较研究。沟谷形态的分形维数具有相同的地学意义:维数越小,该要素对沟道及泥石流的发育和形成的影响越大。沟道比降、汇水面积和沟道长度3个沟谷形态要素中,汇水面积影响最为显著;但矿山泥石流沟谷具有汇水面积少、沟谷尺度小,沟谷比降陡的特点;在此基础上提出了自然—矿山型泥石流的概念。     

Marine debris accumulation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: an examination of rates and processes

Large amounts of derelict fishing gear accumulate and cause damage to shallow coral reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). To facilitate maintenance of reefs cleaned during 1996-2005 removal efforts, we identify likely high-density debris areas by assessing reef characteristics (depth, benthic habitat type, and energy regime) that influence sub-regional debris accumulation. Previously cleaned backreef and lagoonal reefs at two NWHI locations were resurveyed for accumulated debris using two survey methods. Accumulated debris densities and weights were found to be greater in lagoonal reef areas. Sample weight-based debris densities are extrapolated to similar habitats throughout the NWHI using a spatial 'net habitat' dataset created by generalizing IKONOS satellite derivatives for depth and habitat classification. Prediction accuracy for this dataset is tested using historical debris point data. Annual NWHI debris accumulation is estimated to be 52.0 metric tonnes. For planning purposes, individual NWHI atolls/reefs are allotted a proportion of this total.     

Factors affecting marine debris deposition at French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, 1990-2006

Data on the amount and type of small debris items deposited on the beaches of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge Tern Island station, French Frigate Shoals were collected over 16 years. We calculated deposition rates and investigated the relationship among deposition and year, season, El Ni?o and La Ni?a events from 1990 to 2006. In total 52,442 debris items were collected with plastic comprising 71% of all items collected. Annual debris deposition varied significantly (range 1116-5195 items) but was not influenced by season. Debris deposition was significantly greater during El Ni?o events as compared to La Ni?a events. Although often deduced to influence floating marine pollution, this study provides the first quantitative evidence of the influence of El Ni?o/La Ni?a cycles on marine debris deposition.     

Effect of marine litter on the benthic megafauna of coastal soft bottoms: a manipulative field experiment

The effect of litter on the abundance and community structure of soft-bottom epibenthic megafauna was investigated in three coves of the Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea). At each site, two surfaces were defined on the sea-bottom. One of the surfaces was uniformly littered with debris (16 items per 100 m(2)), while the other remained 'clean' and acted as control. Benthic megafauna was censused with SCUBA diving, once before the littering episode and then monthly for one year. Both total abundance and the number of species showed an increasing trend in the impacted surfaces, either because the litter provided refuge or reproduction sites for mobile species or because hard-substratum sessile species had the opportunity to settle on provided surfaces. A marked gradual deviation in the community structure of the impacted surface from the control and a clear successional pattern of change in the community composition of the impacted surfaces were demonstrated.     

浙江省泥石流发育特征

浙江省地形复杂,山地面积大,暴雨频繁,尤其近年来受台风影响,泥石流等山地灾害频发。本文通过浙江省泥石流的调查成果,综合分析区内泥石流发育特征。通过分析,浙江泥石流主要有如下独特的发育特征:沟床比降大,相对高差小,两侧山坡坡度大,流程短,流域面积小等;地质构造上:泥石流主要发育在全-强风化的火山碎屑岩区域,沿深大断裂成带状分布;泥石流三区特征:三区分界不明显,尤其流通区和堆积区难以区分等。本文初次系统分析总结了浙江省泥石流发育特征,对浙江省泥石流形成机理、泥石流防灾减灾等的进一步分析研究提供了科学的依据。     

Morphological and ice-dynamical changes on the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand, 1990–2007

This paper presents data concerning recent (1990–2007) surface morphological and ice-dynamical changes on the Tasman Glacier, New Zealand. We use remote-sensing data to derive rates of lake growth, glacier velocities and rates of glacier surface lowering. Between 1990 and 2007, the glacier terminus receded ~ 3.5 km and a large ice-contact proglacial lake developed behind the outwash head. By 2007 the lake area was ~ 6 km² and had replaced the majority of the lowermost 4 km of the glacier tongue. There is evidence that lake growth is proceeding at increasing rates — the lake area doubled between 2000 and 2007 alone. Measured horizontal glacier velocities decline from 150 m a^− 1 in the upper glacier catchment to almost zero at the glacier terminus and there is a consequent down-glacier increase in surface debris cover. Surface debris mapping shows that a large catastrophic rockfall onto the glacier surface in 1991 is still evident as a series of arcuate debris ridges below the Hochstetter icefall. Calculated glacier surface lowering is most clearly pronounced around the terminal area of the glacier tongue, with down-wasting rates of 4.2 ± 1.4 m a^− 1 in areas adjacent to the lateral moraine ridges outside of the current lake extent. Surface lowering rates of approximately 1.9 ± 1.4 m a^− 1 are common in the upper areas of the glacier. Calculations of future lake expansion are dependent on accurate bathymetric and bed topography surveys, but published data indicate that a further 8–10 km of the glacier is susceptible to calving and further lake development in the future.     

四川西昌邛海的浊流沉积初探

鹅掌河位于邛海南岸,在近15年来泥石流和洪水不断地将泥沙从鹅掌河带入邛海,在邛海底部大量淤积泥沙,形成一由南到北(长2km),由低到高(平均高2m),由窄到宽(南岸宽200m,北岸宽600m)的水下堤,在邛海湖中连接鹅掌河河口堆积扇处还发现了的水下冲沟。湖底扇,水下堤和水下冲沟对于研究湖相和海相浊流沉积有一定的研究和应用价值。浊流特别是高浓度浊流在湖中的沉积模式研究对于湖底和海底地貌的变迁,湖盆和深海油气藏的发现都有一定的价值和意义。     

康定县大息台沟泥石流灾害简介

康定县地处川西平原与四川盆地的过渡地带．县域内地势险峻,地形切割强烈,地层与地质构造复杂,新构造运动强烈．地震活动频繁,泥石流、滑坡、崩塌等地质灾害十分发育。作者通过收集资料与对现场的全面调查,分析了康定县—典型泥石流——大息台沟泥石流的活动概况、危害和形成条件及其形成机制,并对防治对策提出了初步建议。