Drainage, sediment transport, and denudation rates on the Nanga Parbat Himalaya, Pakistan

The Nanga Parbat Himalaya presents some of the greatest relief on Earth, yet sediment production and denudation rates have only been sporadically addressed. We utilized field measurements and computer models to estimate bank full discharge, sediment transport, and denudation rates for the Raikot and Buldar drainage basins (north slope of Nanga Parbat) and the upper reach of the Rupal drainage basin (south slope).The overall tasks of determining stream flow conditions in such a dynamic geomorphic setting is challenging. No gage data exist for these drainage basins, and the overall character of the drainage basins (high relief, steep flow gradients, and turbulent flow conditions) does not lend itself to either ready access or complete profiling.Cross-sectional profiles were surveyed through selected reaches of these drainage basins. These data were then incorporated into software (WinXSPRO) that aids in the characterization (stage, discharge, velocity, and shear stress) of high altitude, steep mountain stream conditions.Complete field measurements of channel depths were rarely possible (except at several bridges where the middle of the channel could actually be straddled and probed) and, when coupled with velocity measurements, provided discrete points of field-measured discharge calculations. These points were then used to calibrate WinXSPRO results for the same reach and provided a confidence level for computer-generated results.Flow calculations suggest that under near bank full conditions, the upper Raikot drainage basin produces discharges of 61 cm and moves about 11,000 tons day⁻¹ (9980 tons day⁻¹) of sediment through its channel. Bank full conditions on the upper portion of the Rupal drainage basin generate discharges of 84 cm and moves only about 3800 tons day⁻¹ (3450 tons day⁻¹) of sediment. Although the upper Rupal drainage basin moves more water, the lower slope of the drainage basin (0.03) generates a much smaller shear stress (461 Pa) than does the higher slope (0.12) of the upper Raikot drainage basin (1925 Pa).Dissolved and suspended sediment loads were measured from water/sediment samples collected throughout the day and night over a period of 10 days at the height of the summer melt season but proved to be a minor variable in transport flux. Channel bed loads were measured using a pebble count method of bank material and then used to generate ratings curves of bed loads relative to discharge volumes. When coupled with discharge data and basin area, mean annual sediment yield and denudation rates for Nanga Parbat are produced. Denudation rates calculated in this fashion range from 0.2 mm year⁻¹ in the slower, more sluggish Rupal drainage basin to almost 6 mm year⁻¹ in the steeper, faster flowing Raikot and Buldar drainage basins.     

Sand harm in Taklimakan Desert highway and sand control

Reputed as a wonderful achievement of the world's highway construction history, the Taklimakan Desert highway is now facing serious sand drift encroachment problems due to its 447- km-long passage of sand sea consisting of crescent dunes, barchan chains, compound transverse dune ridges and complex megadunes. To solve some technical problems in the protection of the highway from sand drift encroachment, desert experts have been conducting the theoretical and applied studies on sand movement laws; causes, severities and time-space differentiation of sand drift damages; and control ways including mechanical, chemical and biological measures. In this paper the authors give an overall summary on the research contents and recent progress in the control of sand drift damages in China and hold that the theoretical research results and practices in the prevention of sand drift encroachment on the cross-desert highway represent a breakthrough and has an epoch-making significance. Since the construction of protective forest along the cross-desert highway requires large amount of ground water, what will be its environmental consequence and whether it can effectively halt sand drift encroachment on the highway forever are the questions to be studied urgently.     

国道219线新-藏公路改建工程地质灾害评价

国道219线新-藏区界至红土达坂路段全长109．55km。大部分路段穿越湖盆槽谷中央部位，部分线路沿湖盆边缘台地布设，海拔高度介于5000-5400m之间，地势平坦开阔，多年冻土发育，工程地质条件较差；现有公路路基高度低，几乎没有排水设施。冬季易产生路基冻胀和涎流冰危害，春、夏季因冻土融化，常引起路基沉陷和翻浆，严重危害公路运输安全甚至阻断交通。公路工程修建活动将极大地改变冻土环境，使天然状态下的水分循环发生改变，导致多年冻土退化，上限加深，进一步诱发冻胀、融沉、热融滑塌等冻土灾害，加剧风沙灾害、诱发公路边坡失稳破坏。在即将进行的公路改、扩建工程中，应采取保护冻土的设计原则，优选线路，加强侧向排水，合理设置取弃土场。     

晋城市王坡煤矿铁路专运线柏树底隧道下伏采空区治理

采空区是煤层开采所致。在煤矿开采的同时，也要做好对采空区的处置，消除其对上部建筑物稳定和安全的不良影响。晋城市王坡煤矿柏树底隧道下伏采空区，涉及6个煤矿，开采规模大小不等，开采时间长短有别。其顶板基本为自然跨落方式，上覆岩层软硬相间，致使采空区至今尚未完全塌陷冒落，处于不稳定状态。其上部裂隙带比较发育，向上逐渐减弱直至地表，直接关系到覆岩工程地质的稳定性。本文介绍了王坡煤矿柏树底隧道下伏采空区的基本情况，环境地质条件，工程地质评价，分析了采空区对铁路隧道工程的危害，论述了采用全充填压力注浆治理采空区的工艺步骤和质量检验方法。     

南京市玄武湖水下交通隧道环境地质评价

玄武湖地下交通隧道既在城市,又在水下,环境地质条件极为复杂,是一种脆弱环境下的典型的地质工程。本文对玄武湖地下交通隧道的环境地质条件特别是水文地质条件进行了评价,预测了可能出现的如水污染、地面沉降、地面塌陷、巷道突水等环境地质问题,并提出了相应的防治对策。     

穿黄隧洞束窄河道对河段水沙特性的影响分析

利用建立的平面二维非恒定水流泥沙数学模型,在上游来流为10000年一遇的特大洪水过程情况下,就初步拟定的南水北调中线穿黄方案之一的孤柏嘴线路3 0km隧洞工程方案,穿黄隧洞束窄河道对河段水流流态、泥沙运动及河床变形的影响进行了计算和分析比较。计算结果表明,在该洪水过程情况下,穿黄隧洞束窄河道对河段水沙运动特性有一定影响,但影响不大。     

新疆天山地区地貌分形与多重分形特征研究

利用投影覆盖法和投影覆盖概率对新疆天山地区不同构造地貌类型进行了分形与多重分形特征的研究。结果表明：在所研究的标度范围内，不同地貌区均表现出明显的多度域分形，分维值总体上呈现出高山区＞中低山区＞盆地区特点，多重分形谱Dq的形态和值域范围也表现出不同特征。研究认为，地貌表面的分维值与地貌形成的内外力地质作用方式和强度密切相关，并提出5-6km的尺度可作为地貌学研究中宏观与微观作用的分界点。     

Estimation of fundamental periods of shear‐wall dominant building structures

Shear‐wall dominant multistorey reinforced concrete structures, constructed by using a special tunnel form technique are commonly built in countries facing a substantial seismic risk, such as Chile, Japan, Italy and Turkey. In spite of their high resistance to earthquake excitations, current seismic code provisions including the Uniform Building Code (International Conference of Building Officials, Whittier, CA, 1997) and the Turkish Seismic Code (Specification for Structures to be Built in Disaster Areas, Ankara, Turkey, 1998) present limited information for their design criteria. In this study, consistency of equations in those seismic codes related to their dynamic properties are investigated and it is observed that the given empirical equations for prediction of fundamental periods of this specific type of structures yield inaccurate results. For that reason, a total of 80 different building configurations were analysed by using three‐dimensional finite‐element modelling and a set of new empirical equations was proposed. The results of the analyses demonstrate that given formulas including new parameters provide accurate predictions for the broad range of different architectural configurations, roof heights and shear‐wall distributions, and may be used as an efficient tool for the implicit design of these structures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic risk assessments and GIS technology: applications to infrastructures in the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy)

This paper illustrates the seismic risk preliminary estimates of two different groups of structures located on the territory of the Friuli–Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy) : the first group includes some special industrial plants, and the second group includes bridges and tunnels belonging to the regional highway network. The part of the study on special industrial plants tries to evaluate the degree of expected damage, taking into account their structural typology and ground shaking expressed in terms of macroseismic intensity. The second part of the study is an application of the HAZUS methodology to the tunnels and bridges of a highway network: the combination of expected ground shaking and the construction characteristics lead to very different risk levels, especially when considering the bridges. The resulting damage levels to bridges and tunnels are still only indicative because of the fragility curves used in the evaluations: they were developed for existing bridge and tunnel structural typologies in the U.S.A. Moreover, both examples show the power of GIS technology in storing, elaborating, and mapping spatial data. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation and measurement of surface shear stress over isolated and closely spaced transverse dunes in a wind tunnel

Topographic interactions generate multidirectional and unsteady air?ow that limits the application of velocity pro?le approaches for estimating sediment transport over dunes. Results are presented from a series of wind tunnel simulations using Irwin‐type surface‐mounted pressure sensors to measure shear stress variability directly at the surface over both isolated and closely spaced sharp‐crested model dunes. Findings complement existing theories on secondary air?ow effects on stoss transport dynamics and provide new information on the in?uence of lee‐side air?ow patterns on dune morphodynamics. For all speeds investigated, turbulent unsteadiness at the dune toe indicates a greater, more variable surface shear, despite a signi?cant drop in time‐averaged measurements of streamwise shear stress at this location. This effect is believed suf?cient to inhibit sediment deposition at the toe and may be responsible for documented intermittency in sand transport in the toe region. On the stoss slope, streamline compression and ?ow acceleration cause an increase in ?ow steadiness and shear stress to a maximum at the crest that is double that at the toe of the isolated dune and 60–70 per cent greater than at ?ow reattachment on the lower stoss of closely spaced dunes. Streamwise ?ow accelerations, rather than turbulence, have greater in?uence on stress generation on the stoss and this effect increases with stoss slope distance and with incident wind speed. Reversed ?ow within the separation cell generates signi?cant surface shear (30–40 per cent of maximum values) for both spacings. This supports ?eld studies that suggest reversed ?ow is competent enough to return sediment to the dune directly or in a de?ected direction. High variability in shear at reattachment indicates impact of a turbulent shear layer that, despite low values of time‐averaged streamwise stress in this region, would inhibit sediment accumulation. Downwind of reattachment, shear stress and ?ow steadiness increase within 6 h (h = dune height) of reattachment and approach upwind values by 25 h. A distance of at least 30 h is suggested for full boundary layer recovery, which is comparable to ?uvial estimates. The Irwin sensor used in this study provides a reliable means to measure skin friction force responsible for sand transport and its robust, simple, and cost‐effective design shows promise for validating these ?ndings in natural dune settings. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.