Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

VELOCITY–DISCHARGE RELATIONSHIPS DERIVED FROM DYE TRACER EXPERIMENTS IN GLACIAL MELTWATERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUBGLACIAL FLOW CONDITIONS

Repeated dye tracer tests were undertaken from individual moulins at Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland, over a number of diurnal discharge cycles during the summers of 1989–1991. It was hoped to use the concepts of at-a-station hydraulic geometry to infer flow conditions in subglacial channels from the form of the velocity–discharge relationships derived from these tests. The results, however, displayed both clockwise and anticlockwise velocity–discharge hysteresis, in addition to the simple power function relationship assumed in the hydraulic geometry approach. Clockwise hysteresis seems to indicate that a moulin drains into a small tributary channel rather than directly into an arterial channel, and that discharges in the two channels vary out of phase with each other. Anticlockwise hysteresis is accompanied by strong diurnal variations in the value of dispersivity derived from the dye breakthrough curve, and is best explained by hydraulic damming of moulins or sub/englacial passageways. Despite the complex velocity–discharge relationships observed, some indication of subglacial flow conditions may be obtained if tributary channels comprise only a small fraction of the drainage path and power function velocity–discharge relationships are derived from dye injections conducted during periods when the supraglacial discharge entering the moulin and the bulk discharge vary in phase. Analyses based on this premise suggest that both open and closed channel flow occur beneath Haut Glacier d'Arolla, and that flow conditions are highly variable at and between sites.     

Heterogeneity influences on stream water–groundwater interactions in a gravel-dominated floodplain

ABSTRACT

Floodplains are composed of complex depositional patterns of ancient and recent stream sediments, and research is needed to address the manner in which coarse floodplain materials affect stream–groundwater exchange patterns. Efforts to understand the heterogeneity of aquifers have utilized numerous techniques typically focused on point-scale measurements; however, in highly heterogeneous settings, the ability to model heterogeneity is dependent on the data density and spatial distribution. The objective of this research was to investigate the correlation between broad-scale methodologies for detecting heterogeneity and the observed spatial variability in stream/groundwater interactions of gravel-dominated alluvial floodplains. More specifically, this study examined the correlation between electrical resistivity (ER) and alluvial groundwater patterns during a flood event at a site on Barren Fork Creek, in the Ozark ecoregion of Oklahoma, USA, where chert gravels were common both as streambed and as floodplain material. Water table elevations from groundwater monitoring wells for a flood event on 1–5 May 2009 were compared to ER maps at various elevations. Areas with high ER matched areas with lower water table slope at the same elevation. This research demonstrated that ER approaches were capable of indicating heterogeneity in surface water–groundwater interactions, and that these heterogeneities were present even in an aquifer matrix characterized as highly conductive. Portions of gravel-dominated floodplain vadose zones characterized by high hydraulic conductivity features can result in heterogeneous flow patterns when the vadose zone of alluvial floodplains activates during storm events.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR X. Chen     

三峡某地区已治理高边坡安全评估工作的启示

通过对三峡某地区已治理高边坡防护工程进行安全评估,发现由于土压力作用、填土不均匀沉降、渗流潜蚀作用等引起部分防护工程出现不同程度的变形破坏。变形破坏产生的根本原因在于防护工程存在设计缺陷、施工质量没有保证及后期疏于维护管理等方面。由于这部分高边坡工程当时属于应急治理,没有统一的技术标准,引起的设计、施工和后期管理方面的问题在三峡库区具有普遍性。经过此次安全评估工作后,应对评估为不同安全等级的防护工程分类采取相应措施。不安全和局部不安全项目要严格按照国家有关标准实施彻底整改;基本安全项目和安全项目要进行定期巡查,以便及时发现隐患。另外,高边坡治理工程后期维护的好坏对于能否充分发挥防护效益至关重要,要改变以往重治理、轻维护的管理模式,切实做好防护工程的后期维护管理,确保防护工程及防护对象的安全。     

中国煤层气开发存在的问题及破解思路

复杂含煤地层顶板水平井射孔压裂是增加煤层透气性、提升瓦斯抽采效率的关键,而地层结构和射孔位置影响裂缝扩展形态。考虑地层结构特征及射孔位置,建立压裂工程地质模型;基于有限元方法构建数值模型,研究射孔位置、地层条件、垂向应力与水平应力差对裂缝扩展的影响,并进行工程验证,提出施工建议。结果表明：射孔孔眼位置存在全部位于煤层中、全部位于顶板岩层中和部分位于顶板部分位于煤层3种情况。孔眼位于煤层中,裂缝受到界面的“阻隔”作用,对煤层改造有利;孔眼位于顶板,当顶板层理发育,垂向应力与最小水平主应力差大于2 MPa时裂缝能够穿越层理和界面进入煤层,而顶板完整时,应力差大于−2 MPa裂缝即可在孔眼诱导作用下进入煤层,顶板层理和界面对裂缝垂向扩展具有“阻挡”作用,结构完整地层有利于裂缝的垂向穿层扩展;孔眼部分进入煤层,对裂缝起裂、扩展产生明显诱导作用,形成沿界面的水平缝和进入煤层的垂直缝,无论顶板是否完整,都能形成有效改造裂缝。当射孔孔眼距煤层较远、孔眼与煤层间弱面发育、水平应力大于垂向应力或压裂施工规模不足时,建议采用深穿透射孔、分支孔等能够沟通煤层的工程措施,以保证压裂效果。研究结果在陕西韩城某煤矿的井下分段压裂施工中进行了应用,试验孔瓦斯抽采效果良好,可为类似地质、工程条件下的压裂施工提供借鉴。

     

A comparative study of closed-form hydraulic conductivity prediction models

The Mualem and the Burdine hydraulic conductivity prediction models are considered in combination with the van Genuchten analytical retention curve, as well as the Brooks and Corey prediction model. An equivalence is presented between the retention curves of these models. A comparative study follows between hydraulic conductivities that are based on equivalent retention curves. A unified presentation of prediction models provides a framework for the whole analysis. The treatment of the equivalence problem consists in a minimization procedure characterized by uncoupling of the parameters and analytical evaluation of the objective function. Exact analytical equivalence relations are given for significant parts of the parameter ranges, and, for the remaining parts, analytical approximations are proposed. The comparisons between hydraulic conductivities are carried out via an inequality analysis. It is shown that the hydraulic conductivity of the Burdine model is less than that of the other models for extended ranges of equivalent parameters.     

雷州半岛土壤渗透性及其与地下水补给关系

对雷州半岛土壤渗透性进行了分析,并结合地形地貌、降雨入渗补给情况,识别地下水潜在补给区。雷州半岛土壤渗透性空间差异较大,饱和渗透系数变化范围为 0.04~8.83 m/d。总体而言,半岛南部、遂溪西北部渗透性较好,中部较差。土壤渗透系数受到土地利用类型、土壤粒径、土壤有机质等的影响。随着土壤中值粒径和有机质含量的增加,土壤渗透系数增加。不同土地利用类型,其土壤平均渗透性优劣表现为：荒地＞桉树林＞甘蔗＞菜地＞菠萝＞其他林地＞香蕉＞苗圃＞坡稻＞水稻田。降雨入渗补给系数南北高、中间低,随着土壤渗透系数增加而提高。半岛南部石茆岭和石板岭一带,地势高,坡度较缓,同时土壤渗透性和降雨入渗补给系数相对较高,为雷州半岛地下水潜在补给区。     

水流注入方式和填料层高度对人工湿地流态的影响

流态模拟实验作为评价人工净化湿地系统运行状况、物质在其中停留时间的有效工具,在污水处理领域具有重要作用。罗丹明B背景浓度低、重现性好,被选为评价升流式、降流式和填料层高度对水力流态影响的示踪剂。实验使用罗丹明B和NaCl作为示踪剂,在湿地系统中进行流态实验,探究升流式、降流式和填料层高度对人工净化湿地流态的影响。实验结果表明,升流式人工湿地比降流式人工湿地处理效果好,示踪剂水力停留时间(hydraulic retention time,HRT)的体积利用率分别为82.0%和76.8%,升流式人工湿地无效体积中死区占更大比例,而降流式人工湿地滞留区占无效体积的比例更大;人工湿地填料层高度对示踪剂停留时间分布影响不大,体积利用率都在80%以上,但是,其死区和滞留区随着填料层高度的变化在无效体积中所占的比例有所差异,死区所占的比例随着填料层高度的增加先增加后减少,滞留区所占的比例则先减少后增加。     

用于可重构机床控制系统的电力线通信技术

介绍了可重构机床对通信系统的要求,提出了一种基于宽带电力线通信（PLC,PowerLine Communication）技术的新型通信系统．通过对机床电力线的信道特性和噪声频谱的分析与测量,选定了通信系统的载波频率和带宽等参数．为了对抗电力线信道的多径效应,提高频谱利用率,实现可靠高效的数据传输,采用正交频分复用技术（OFDM,Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex）作为调制解调方式．开发了PLC调制解调器,定义了物理层帧结构．最后以机床主轴伺服系统为例对该通信系统进行了实验验证．实验结果表明,该系统实现了有效数据传输率10Mbit／s,误比特率（BER,Bit Error Rate）小于10^-8的高效数据传输．     

高砂比压裂技术在吐哈油田的应用研究

根据吐哈油田的特点,就高砂比压裂技术在吐哈油田的应用,在压裂液优化、支撑剂选择、施工工艺等方面进行了研究,优选出了适合该地区的压裂液和支撑剂,优化了压裂施工工艺,最终通过实践总结出了一套适合吐哈油田的高砂比压裂工艺,经过推广试验证明,效果明显。