A STUDY ON A NEW MECHANICAL MODEL FOR FOUNDATIONS AND ITS ELASTIC SETTLEMENT RESPONSE

In the present paper, a new foundation model has been proposed by introducing a stretched rough elastic membrane in the Pasternak shear layer sandwiched between two spring layers which is an extension of Kerr model. Considering the equilibrium of different elements, the equations governing the elastic settlement response of the model are derived. Finite difference scheme has been employed to solve the governing equations. The parametric studies carried out show the effect of several parameters on the elastic settlement response of the model. The proposed model is well suited for idealizing the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced granular fill—soft soil system besides other applications.     

MEASURING AND MODELLING OF SOIL WATER DYNAMICS AND RUNOFF GENERATION IN AN AGRICULTURAL LOESSIAL HILLSLOPE

Surface runoff may be generated when the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity, or when the soil profile is saturated with water. Indications exist that both types of overland flow may occur in hilly agricultural loess regions. Here, for a loessial hillslope under maize in the southern part of The Netherlands, it was shown, with pressure head and runoff measurements, that Hortonian overland flow occurs during typical summer rain events. Surface runoff was initiated after saturation of the top 5–10 cm of the soil. Deeper in the soil, unsaturated conditions prevailed while runoff took place. Peak runoff discharges at the outlet of the subcatchment occurred a few minutes after peak rainfall intensities were measured. It appeared that SWMS_2D, a two-dimensional water flow model, was capable in simulating observed pressure head changes and runoff. Simulated potential runoff for the transect studied was higher by a magnitude of three than the measured areal average. This indicates effects of surface ponding, and the probable location of this particular transect in a region with high runoff production.     

FLOW SEPARATION IN UNDISTURBED SOILS USING MULTIPLE ANIONIC TRACERS. PART 1. ANALYTICAL METHODS AND UNSTEADY RAINFALL AND RETURN FLOW EXPERIMENTS

Tracers provide one of the few ways of obtaining realistic information on the flows of water and solutes in undisturbed structured soils. Three fluorinated organic acids [pentafluorobenzoic acid, 2,6-diflurobenzoic acid and o-(trifluoromethyl) benzoic acid] and bromide were tested as anionic tracers in situations where the separation of different flow components is of interest. The fluorobenzoates were relatively conservative (approximately 90% for loam soil) although, in some instances, co-elution or complexation may lead to apparently non-conservative behaviour. Tracer mixtures applied to soils, were separated and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The relative mobilities of the tracers were studied during unidirectional steady flow in large undisturbed soil columns brought back to the laboratory. The breakthrough curves showed highly dispersive behaviour, with very early breakthrough of solute and a long tail. Contributions to the column outflow of different simultaneous applications of rainfall and return flow, labelled with different tracers, were separated using multicomponent mixing equations. The results show the importance of preferential flow and relatively immobile storage in the transport process.     

FLOW SEPARATION IN UNDISTURBED SOIL USING MULTIPLE ANIONIC TRACERS. PART 2. STEADY-STATE CORE-SCALE RAINFALL AND RETURN FLOWS AND DETERMINATION OF DISPERSION PARAMETERS

A series of experiments designed to study the separation of flow components from two large undisturbed cores under steady-state rainfall (downward) and return (upward) flows under near-saturated conditions is summarized. The experiments were conducted on soil columns collected from Lancaster University and the Slapton Wood catchment, Devon. The use of the relatively conservative tracers, potassium bromide, o-(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid and 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid and a combination of application rates made it possible to quantify the different sources of water contributing to the discharge hydrographs. There is significant retention of tracer within the cores, despite the application of several pore volumes of water. The use of steady flow conditions allowed the determination of dispersion coefficients, dispersivity and proportion of ‘mobile’ water content parameters of the advection–dispersion equation. It was found that there were significant differences between the dispersivities at different flow-rates under upward and downward flux conditions and that in the undisturbed cores studied here the apparent proportions of mobile pore water ranged between 0.33 and 1.0, with an apparently complex relationship to flux rate. Prediction of transport in undisturbed soil remains problematic and tracer experiments will continue to be needed to provide a fundamental understanding of the complex flow processes involved.     

Devensian Late-glacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Vale of Pickering,Yorkshire, England

Pollen, sedimentological and charcoal particle analyses are presented from Devensian Late-glacial and early- to mid-Flandrian deposits from a former lake in the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire. The combined analytical methods provide evidence for a short-lived climatic deterioration towards the end of the Late-glacial Interstadial, followed by a brief recovery prior to the Loch Lomond Stadial. This deterioration may be correlated with one of the ‘pre-Younger Dryas’ cooling periods identified not only in other pollen sequences from Britain and Europe, but from such diverse sources as Foraminifera from the Norwegian Sea and electrical conductivity measurements from the Greenland ice sheet. Loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility data suggest that the Loch Lomond Stadial was characterised by an initial prolonged temperature decline, followed by a sudden more severe downturn resulting in particularly intense solifluction. Radiocarbon accelerator dating of the early Flandrian marl deposits illustrates the problem of age determination in calcareous lakes, and an estimate of the magnitude of ‘hard water error’ is obtained. The local population expansion of Alnus glutinosa is dated to 7640 ± 85 yr BP, but there is possible evidence for a Late-glacial presence of the tree, the significance of which is discussed in relation to other sites in east Yorkshire. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

土壤环境中化学定时炸弹的研究现状与展望

土壤环境中的化学定时炸弹对生态环境乃至人类自身危害极大,国内外均有大规模发生化学定时炸弹的实例,但是,由于其不易发现而常常被忽略,这将造成更为严重的后果。化学定时炸弹的分类问题比较复杂,目前较为妥当的做法是对各种分类方案进行有益的探索。化学定时炸弹的触爆机制研究十分重要,是进行地球化学灾害评价、预测和防治的基础;地球化学工程技术是将来预防和治理化学定时炸弹最主要手段。从科学的严密性和严肃性考虑,化学定时炸弹的概念应该由具有更深刻内涵和更广泛外延的“缓变型地球化学灾害”来替代。     

三峡库区紫色土微量元素含量的变化

以三峡库区典型坡面紫色土为例,对土壤中微量元素的含量及其在不同坡度、不同利用方式下的变化进行初步研究。结果表明,库区紫色土中Fe、Mn、Ni、Zr、Sr和Ti的含量相对较多,Mo的含量较为丰富,Zn和Pb的含量相对较低。Pb、Cu和Co的含量在一定坡度范围内随坡地坡度的增大而减少,Zr和Cr的含量则增加。紫色土中Cu、Pb、Co、Ti、Zr、Ni、Cr、Sr等微量元素的含量随坡度的变化具有一定的相关性。耕作土和非耕作土中微量元素含量差异明显,人为活动是引起库区紫色土微量元素含量变化的主要因素。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区县域土壤有机质空间分布特征及预测

分析、预测土壤属性空间变异及其动态是区域土地质量评价和可持续土地利用的一个重要组成部分。在陕西省横山县采集了254个耕层(0~20cm)土样,利用数字地形与遥感影像分析技术,提取了相关地形与遥感指数,分析不同土地利用类型、不同地形条件下土壤有机质空间变异及分布特征,并利用相关因子进行回归预测分析。结果表明,县域土壤有机质平均含量很低,变异性较大。不同土地利用类型土壤有机质差异显著,其中以水稻田有机质含量最高,而林地和灌木林地相对较低。不同土地利用类型土壤有机质含量次序为:水稻田>川地>梯田>坝地>荒草地>坡耕地>林地>灌木林地。不同坡度分析表明,“0~3°”这一坡度等级有机质含量显著高于其它坡度等级;不同坡向有机质含量差异不显著,但不同坡向有机质含量存在一个明显的趋势,阴坡有机质含量整体上要比阳坡高。相关分析表明土壤有机质与高程h呈现负相关关系,与坡向的余弦值COSα正相关,与复合地形指数CTI正相关;土壤有机质和修正后的土壤调节植被指数(MSAVI)以及湿度指数(WI)正相关。利用相关环境变量及遥感指数进行多元线性逐步回归分析,预测结果不甚理想,存在一个平滑效应,对于残差解释相对较低,须进一步研究以更好的解释残差。     

土壤墒情遥感反演与旱情诊断

土壤墒情与植被生长状况和地表温度之间存在密切联系?贑OST模型算法和单窗算法,开展了TM/ETM+多光谱数据的地表反射率、地表温度(LST)和土壤调整植被指数反演(MSAVI),分析了地表温度和植被指数的线性关系,提出了土壤墒情几何特征指数和旱情诊断函数,结合土壤含水量实测数据,建立了横山县土壤墒情遥感反演模型。实证结果表明,基于TM/ETM+数据反演的长度指数可进行旱情诊断;对土壤含水量的反演模型进行T检验,差异不显著,而基于地面温度的土壤墒情反演模型优于土壤调整植被指数反演模型。