News from the seabed – Geological characteristics and resource potential of deep-sea mineral resources

Marine minerals such as manganese nodules, Co-rich ferromanganese crusts, and seafloor massive sulfides are commonly seen as possible future resources that could potentially add to the global raw materials supply. At present, a proper assessment of these resources is not possible due to a severe lack of information regarding their size, distribution, and composition. It is clear, however, that manganese nodules and Co-rich ferromanganese crusts are a vast resource and mining them could have a profound impact on global metal markets, whereas the global resource potential of seafloor massive sulfides appears to be small. These deep-sea mineral commodities are formed by very different geological processes resulting in deposits with distinctly different characteristics. The geological boundary conditions also determine the size of any future mining operations and the area that will be affected by mining. Similarly, the sizes of the most favorable areas that need to be explored for a global resource assessment are also dependent on the geological environment. Size reaches 38 million km² for manganese nodules, while those for Co-rich crusts (1.7 million km²) and massive sulfides (3.2 million km²) are much smaller. Moreover, different commodities are more abundant in some jurisdictions than in others. While only 19% of the favorable area for manganese nodules lies within the Exclusive Economic Zone of coastal states or is covered by proposals for the extension of the continental shelf, 42% of the favorable areas for massive sulfides and 54% for Co-rich crusts are located in EEZs.     

深海采矿转臂机构采矿姿态优化研究

针对海底地形不平坦特性,提出了一种变幅机构来自适应海底地形采矿姿态的采矿机构。综合考虑采矿机构采掘头距海底高度对采矿率影响,利用关键点法建立了节臂上的点到海底地形距离的数学模型。在此基础上,建立了以采矿率最高为目标的最优采矿姿态数学模型。以某实际地形为例,采用模拟退火遗传算法优化求解最优采矿姿态。根据其优化后结果可知,其最优采矿姿态与海底地形坡度变化一致,从而证明了采矿姿态模型的正确性。     

锈蚀钢筋在疲劳荷载作用下压磁场分布研究

针对锈蚀钢筋的疲劳损伤与寿命评估中的难度大、精度低等问题,引入压磁检测技术,对锈蚀钢筋疲劳过程中的压磁场分布进行检测,从宏观与微观相结合的角度分析压磁场分布与疲劳损伤之间的联系。试验结果表明,锈蚀钢筋的压磁场分布能够反映疲劳损伤的演变规律,疲劳后期非线性特征加剧,锈蚀率及应力幅越大则变化越为明显,磁感强度值、磁场分布梯度、"反转"现象等均有助于进行疲劳损伤评价与寿命预测。研究结果可为压磁无损检测技术在钢筋混凝土结构中的应用提供依据。     

Interactive discovery of sequential patterns in time series of wind data

Wind speed and direction vary over space and time due to the interactions between different pressures and temperature gradients within the atmospheric layers. Near the earth’s surface, these interactions are modulated by topography and artificial structures. Hence, characterizing wind behaviour over large areas and long periods is a complex but essential task for various energy-related applications. In this study, we present a novel approach to discover wind patterns by integrating sequential pattern mining and interactive visualization techniques. The approach relies on the use of the Linear time Closed pattern Miner sequence algorithm in conjunction with a time sliding window that allows the discovery of all sequential patterns present in the data. These patterns are then visualized using integrated 2D and 3D coordinated multiple views and visually explored to gain insight into the characteristics of the wind from a spatial, temporal and attribute (type of wind pattern) point of view. This proposed approach is used to analyse 10 years of hourly wind speed and direction data for 29 weather stations in the Netherlands. The results show that there are 15 main sequential patterns in the data. The spatial task shows that weather stations located in the same region do not necessarily experience similar wind pattern. For within the selected time interval, similar wind patterns can be observed in different stations and in the same station at different times of occurrence. The attribute task discovered that the repetitive occurrences of chosen pattern indicate as regular wind behaviour at different weather stations that persisted continuously over time. The results of these tasks show that the proposed interactive discovery facilitates the understanding of wind dynamics in space and time.     

青海省祁连县大拉洞柏杨沟矿区煤岩层对比研究

通过研究太原组的沉积特征及聚煤变化规律,采用了标志层、煤岩层组合特征、层间距、测井曲线形态等方法,对矿区内煤层、岩层进行了综合对比。确定了该区主要煤层的赋存层位、形态、分布及变化特征,对周边地区找煤工作具有一定的指导作用。     

玲珑金矿西山幔源脉岩地球化学特征

玲珑西山幔源脉岩主微量元素的变化暗示了源岩很可能经历过类似俯冲带流体的交代作用,矿化流体中含有较高含量的金属矿物,具有Eu的正异常,指示了源区是深源的。脉岩中的CO2来源可能是花岗岩岩浆热液的混入,石英来源于陆壳碎屑物质部分熔融形成的S型花岗岩,硫的来源与幔源脉岩岩浆同源,或来自地幔,或来自地壳深部。     

Testing and modeling of the mechanical behavior of dolomite in the Wudongde hydropower plant

In order to understand the mechanical behaviours of the surrounding rocks in the underground caverns of the Wudongde hydropower plant, triaxial tests are performed on a type of dolomite. It is revealed that damage induced by crack development is the main factor controlling the nonlinear plastic deformation and failure behaviour of the dolomite in both pre- and post-peak regimes. Based on this understanding, a coupled elastoplastic damage model is developed for capturing the dolomite’s mechanical behaviours. In the model, the effects of plasticity and damage on rocks is described by introducing plastic hardening and damage softening commonly in the plastic yield surface. Which are both derived from a suitable Helmholtz free energy function. The model is used to simulate the triaxial tests. Comparisons between test results and the numerical modelling show that the developed model is capable of describing the macro mechanical behaviours of the Wudongde dolomite.     

Regional Variability in Occurrence and Distribution of Polymetallic Nodules in the Central Indian Basin

Regional scale morphological studies on different-sized polymetallic nodules from the Central Indian Basin show that only 2–5 cm sized nodules have highest occurrence per station (92–94% along latitudes; 88–94% along longitudes). A nodule size shows an inverse relationship with the nodule distribution, grade, and abundance. Interestingly, only 3–4 and 4–5 cm sized nodules have highest grade, abundance, and distribution percentages along longitudes in P₁, first generation mine site and relinquished area, which further implies that the nodule mining along the longitude would be beneficial. Different-sized nodule groups suggest their formation under variable environmental conditions that existed in the Central Indian Basin. The coexistence of different-sized nodules suggests different environmental conditions existed in the Central Indian Basin.     

典型矿区尾矿库特征污染物识别研究

通过对典型尾矿库土壤样品分析,利用重金属超标率、植物体BCF、污染因子的权重值筛选等通进行典型污染物识别,为开展尾矿库污染治理工作提供依据。     

PM2.5降尘对A549细胞线粒体氧化损伤的影响

将不同浓度PM_(2.5)降尘作用于A549细胞后,利用MTT法检测其存活率,W-G染色观察细胞形态,荧光探针法检测细胞ROS和MMP相对水平,以探讨PM_(2.5)降尘对A549细胞线粒体氧化损伤的影响及作用机制。结果显示,经12. 5μg/m L的PM_(2.5)降尘作用A549细胞3 h后,细胞存活率为(81. 77±6. 15)%,并随作用浓度及时间增加呈递减趋势。PM_(2.5)染毒后可观察到细胞形态不规则,胞膜溶解破坏,细胞微核出现。PM_(2.5)降尘作用于细胞24 h后,胞内ROS相对含量随暴露浓度增加呈递增趋势,细胞MMP相对水平随染毒浓度增加而降低,且胞内ROS和MMP两者间存在显著相关关系(R2=0. 878)。提示PM_(2.5)降尘处理A549细胞后可通过刺激ROS的产生,诱导细胞MMP下降,造成细胞线粒体氧化损伤。