Hydrodynamics of salt marsh creek systems: Implications for marsh morphological development and material exchange

Integrated ebb-aligned drainage systems are a feature of tide-dominated marshes, and are generally regarded as major conduits for material exchange. In north Norfolk, highly unsteady creek flows exhibit well-developed velocity and stress transients which result from the discontinuous nature of the tidal prism and the interaction of shallow water tidal inputs with hydraulically rough vegetated surfaces. Marsh morphological development is governed by a form-process feedback, in the sense that the marsh surface acts as a topographic threshold separating the depositional regime of below-marsh tides from the erosional (ebb-dominated) regime of over-marsh tides. Vertical marsh growth results in increasing intermittency of creek sediment transport. Furthermore, velocity transients are associated with large discharges which must be allowed for in material flux computations. Creek flux measurements are not in themselves sufficient to estimate total material budgets, since a large proportion of tidal exchange may take place via the marsh edge. Such studies should focus instead on direct measurement of marsh surface processes. These findings have relevance beyond this back-barrier setting to marshes of different geometry, occupying a broad range of the tidal energy spectrum.     

The timing of salt structure growth in the Southern Permian Basin (Central Europe) and implications for basin dynamics

In this paper, a literature‐based compilation of the timing and history of salt tectonics in the Southern Permian Basin (Central Europe) is presented. The tectono‐stratigraphic evolution of the Southern Permian Basin is influenced by salt movement and the structural development of various types of salt structures. The compilation presented here was used to characterize the following syndepositional growth stages of the salt structures: (a) “phase of initiation”; (b) phase of fastest growth (“main activity”); and (c) phase of burial’. We have also mapped the spatial pattern of potential mechanisms that triggered the initiation of salt structures over the area studied and summarized them for distinct regions (sub‐basins, platforms, etc.). The data base compiled and the set of maps produced from it provide a detailed overview of the spatial and temporal distribution of salt tectonic activity enabling the correlation of tectonic phases between specific regions of the entire Southern Permian Basin. Accordingly, salt movements were initiated in deeply subsided graben structures and fault zones during the Early and Middle Triassic. In these areas, salt structures reached their phase of main activity already during the Late Triassic or the Jurassic and were mostly buried during the Early Cretaceous. Salt structures in less subsided sub‐basins and platform regions of the Southern Permian Basin mostly started to grow during the Late Triassic. The subsequent phase of main activity of these salt structures took place from the Late Cretaceous to the Cenozoic. The analysis of the trigger mechanisms revealed that most salt structures were initiated by large‐offset normal faults in the sub‐salt basement in the large graben structures and minor normal faulting associated with thin‐skinned extension in the less subsided basin parts.     

A Raman investigation on the boron form occurring in salt lake brine during evaporation

Boron resources are abundant in Da Qaidam salt lake of Qaidamu Basin. It has been given great attention for the polyborate species present in brine. In this study, the Raman spectroscopy was applied to investigate the existing-form of boron in brine during evaporation. The prepared solutions of MgO·2B2O3-H2O, MgO·2B2O3-MgCl2 -H2O, and MgO·2B2O3-MgSO4-H2O was also evaporated and recorded to study the influence of boron concentration, pH, and electrolytes on the borate speciation in brine. The mononborates of B(OH)3 and B(OH)4- were found to be the only forms present in the original salt lake brine. Brine evaporation promotes the formation of polyborate anions B3O3(OH)4-, B5O6(OH)4-, and B6O7(OH)62- and also disappearance of the B(OH)4- ion in brine with boron concentration of more than 11 g/L in B2O3. The pentaborate ion of B5O6(OH)4- was sensitive to the solution pH and found to be appeared under the pH value of 8.0. While the hexaborate ion of B6O7(OH)62- was observed more dependent on the electrolyte of magnesium chloride due to its special properties, such as promoting boron accumulation, lowering solution pH, and also the strong af?nity for water molecules, which is beneficial to the polymerization of borate ions in brine. The interaction mechanisms among polyborate anions during evaporation had also been proposed.     

围海造陆条件下排海高温浓盐水对渤海湾温盐场分布影响模拟及预测

自2000年以来围绕渤海湾的围海工程剧增,致使工程区附近潮流场发生变化,进而影响排海高温浓盐水的时空分布特征。本文通过建立2000年和2015年两种不同岸线、地形条件下的三维数学模型对渤海湾沿岸3个电厂高温浓盐水表层排海问题进行模拟,研究结果表明,渤海湾的潮流场和高温浓盐水输移扩散特征在近十几年发生了较大变化:工程后,渤海湾平均盐度增大0.203,平均温度升高了0.105℃,同时曹妃甸附近海域浓盐水输移扩散速度明显增加。增大排放口流量至12.7 m3/s,湾内最高温度为26.46℃,较2015年最高温度增加了2.72℃。本文模型可准确模拟及预测排海废水盐度、温度分布特征,为合理布置水电联产设备排放口的位置提供理论基础。     

基于分光光度法的多量程海水营养盐原位传感器检测系统设计

针对传统海水营养盐检测方法不能满足海水营养盐长期原位监测需求的问题,研制了一种基于分光光度法的多量程海水营养盐原位传感器检测系统,通过对系统的高度集成及对多量程检测、低功耗技术、漏液保护技术的应用,实现了对海水5项营养盐参数快速、宽范围、高精度的原位测量。经过实验室和青岛中苑码头现场测试,表明本营养盐传感器检测系统具有低功耗、高可靠性能,可满足对5项营养盐参数的快速精确测量要求,实现了对海水营养盐参数的原位监测,为相关部门及时了解海洋生态环境和水体富营养化程度提供了数据支持,具有重大现实意义。     

江汉盆地典型二级构造带特征分析

在三维地震资料的基础上,依据构造带划分原则,把江汉盆地构造带划分为三大类,分别为断裂、盐构造及古潜山,共25个,并分别在3个类别中选取一个典型构造带进行讨论研究。     

13世纪以来中国海洋盐业动态演变及驱动因素

海洋盐业是中国海洋经济的重要部分,也是沿海传统产业之一,13世纪以来不断发展演变。将沿海分为北、东、南3个地带,搜集整理与海盐经济相关的多种历史文献及方志资料,运用地理学方法分析评估了海洋盐业百年尺度的动态演化过程,并比较了资源环境与管理政策的驱动作用及其差异。研究表明：① 沿海盐业表现为传统煎法长期主导、逐步废煎改晒的过程,不同盐区的演化进程存在显著差异,北部盐区最快,东部次之,南部整体发展缓慢;② 海盐生产重心长期位于东部的两淮盐区,19世纪后期向北部盐区快速迁移;③ 资源环境与生态差异促进了各岸段海盐生产演化分异,垄断性管理政策迟滞了海洋盐业的空间集聚进程,未来沿海开发与海洋盐业的可持续发展将主要依靠基于资源生态约束的管理政策与技术。     

Micromorphology of solonetzic horizons as related to environmental events in the Caspian Lowland

Micromorphology of solonetz species with special attention to natric horizon was studied in microcatenas at the Dzhanybek Research Station （northwestern Caspian Lowland）. The solonetzic （natric） horizon is easily identified, and it occurs at varying depths, which are the criteria for subdividing solonetzes into 4 species, namely, crusty, shallow, medium and deep. In this sequence, the depth of humus-accumulative horizons increases, and the upper boundary of salinity manifestations goes down. The following micromorphological features are assumed as typical for natric horizons： angular blocky microstructures with partially accommodated aggregates having sharp boundaries and narrow plane-like packing voids; b-fabric speckled in the aggregates＇ centers and monostriated at their peripheries merging into stress coatings; very few interpedal voids; organo-clay coatings; humus- enriched infillings; no calcite and gypsum pedofeatures. A complete set of ＂natric＂ features was found only in the crusty solonetz; the shallow solonetz lacks only illuviation coatings, while the medium and deep species have several modifications of fabric elements： blocky aggregates have a rounded shape and are penetrated by biogenic channels favoring their further biogenic reworking; plant residues became more abundant and diverse, and blackened tissues occur; illuviation clay coatings evolved into papules; stress coatings gave birth to striated bfabrics, thus maintaining a high plasma orientation. The thin sections of natric horizons made 50 and 20 years ago were examined to study the influence of environmental changes （increase in precipitation and rise of ground water table） on micropedofeatures. The following processes took place： （i） in the topsoil： humus accumulation and biogenic structurization; （ii） in the natric horizon - re-arrangement of clay coatings into micromass b-fabrics; and （iii） in the lower part of the natric horizon - development of pseudosand fabric, calcite and gypsum formation. The trends revealed are in good agreement with the environmental events.     

内蒙孪井灌区土壤盐分运移规律分析

研究了孪井灌区典型地段包气带土层可溶盐分在灌溉前后的变化,分析了灌溉水和土壤水盐分动态特征,并在室内进行了不同类型土壤的淋滤试验。结果表明引黄灌溉是使土壤脱盐的过程,尤其是灌溉初期,土壤脱盐非常明显。灌溉洗盐与包气带岩性和灌水量有关,砂壤土较黏砂土易脱盐,土壤初始含盐量越大,灌溉量越大,土壤脱盐量就越大。     

Wind impact on pollutant transport in a shallow estuary

A three-dimensional numerical model, EFDC （ environmental fluid dynamics code） is applied to the Pamlico River Estuary （PRE） in eastern North Carolina of the United States to examine the wind impact on pollutant age distributions and residence time. A series of model experiments representing base case, remote-wind-induced water level set-up and local winds cases are conducted. Model results indicate that the pollutant mean age and the system residence time are functions of gravitational circulation in the PRE. The system responses to remote-wind-induced water level set-up are different in different portions of the PRE. Under such condition, dissolved substances in the upstream portion of the PRE have a younger age and shorter residence time （compared with the base case） , by contrast, they have a older age and longer residence time in the downstream portion of the PRE. Upriver and downriver local winds appear to have opposite impacts on pollutant age distributions. The substances are retained much longer within the PRE under upriver wind than those under downriver wind. The model results also suggest that across - river winds may lead to longer residence time through enhanced turbulence mixing, which slows down the gravitational circulation in the PRE.