The effect of pore water pressure on tunnel face stability

The kinematic approach in combination with numerical simulation is used to examine the effect of pore water pressure on tunnel face stability. Pore water pressure distribution obtained by numerical calculations using FLAC^3D is used to interpolate the pore water pressure on a 3D rotational collapse mechanism. Comparisons are made to check the present approach against other solutions, showing that the present approach improves the existing upper bound solutions. Results obtained indicate that critical effective face pressure increases with water table elevation. Several normalized charts are also presented for quick evaluation of tunnel face stability. At the end of the paper, the influence of anisotropic permeability on tunnel face stability is also discussed, showing that the isotropic model leads to an overestimation of the necessary tunnel face pressure for anisotropic soils. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial patterns of groundwater‐lake exchange – implications for acid neutralization processes in an acid mine lake

Exchange of groundwater and lake water with typically quite different chemical composition is an important driver for biogeochemical processes at the groundwater‐lake interface, which can affect the water quality of lakes. This is of particular relevance in mine lakes where anoxic and slightly acidic groundwater mixes with oxic and acidic lake water (pH < 3). To identify links between groundwater‐lake exchange rates and acid neutralization processes in the sediments, exchange rates were quantified and related to pore‐water pH, sulfate and iron concentrations as well as sulfate reduction rates within the sediment. Seepage rates measured with seepage meters (?2.5 to 5.8 L m^‐2 d^‐1) were in reasonable agreement with rates inverted from modeled chloride profiles (?1.8 to 8.1 L m^‐2 d^‐1). Large‐scale exchange patterns were defined by the (hydro)geologic setting but superimposed by smaller scale variations caused by variability in sediment texture. Sites characterized by groundwater upwelling (flow into the lake) and sites where flow alternated between upwelling and downwelling were identified. Observed chloride profiles at the alternating sites reflected the transient flow regime. Seepage direction, as well as seepage rate, were found to influence pH, sulfate and iron profiles and the associated sulfate reduction rates. Under alternating conditions proton‐consuming processes, for example, sulfate reduction, were slowed. In the uppermost layer of the sediment (max. 5 cm), sulfate reduction rates were significantly higher at upwelling (>330 nmol g^‐1 d^‐1) compared to alternating sites (<220 nmol g^‐1 d^‐1). Although differences in sulfate reduction rates could not be explained solely by different flux rates, they were clearly related to the prevailing groundwater‐lake exchange patterns and the associated pH conditions. Our findings strongly suggest that groundwater‐lake exchange has significant effects on the biogeochemical processes that are coupled to sulfate reduction such as acidity retention and precipitation of iron sulfides. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coastal Massachusetts pond development: edaphic,climatic, and sea level impacts since deglaciation

Kettle ponds in the Cape Cod National Seashore in southeastern Massachusetts differ in their evolution due to depth of the original ice block, the clay content of outwash in their drainage basins, and their siting in relation to geomorphic changes caused by sea-level rise, barrier beach formation, and saltmarsh development. Stratigraphic records of microfossil, carbon isotope, and sediment changes also document late-glacial and Holocene climatic changes.The ponds are separated into 3 groups, each of which follow different development scenarios. Group I ponds date from the late-glacial. They formed in clay-rich outwash, have perched aquifers and continuous lake sediment deposition. The earliest pollen and macrofossil assemblages in Group I pond sediments suggest tundra and spruce-willow parklands before 12 000 yr B.P., boreal forest between 12 000 and 10 500 yr B.P., bog/heath initiation and expansion during the Younger Dryas between 11 000 and 10 000 yr B.P., northern conifer forest between 10 500 and 9500 yr B.P., and establishment of the Cape oak and pitch pine barrens vegetation after 9500 yr B.P. Sedimentation rate changes suggest lowered freshwater levels between 9000 and 5000 yr B.P. caused by decreased precipitation on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Lake sediment deposition began in the middle Holocene in Group II ponds which formed in clay-poor outwash. These ponds date from about 6000-5000 yr B.P. In these ponds sediment deposition began as sea level rose and the freshwater lens intersected the dry basins. The basal radiocarbon dates of these ponds and stable carbon isotope analyses of the pond sediments suggest a sea-level curve for Cape Cod Bay. Holocene topographic changes in upland and the landscape surrounding the ponds is reconstructed for this coastal area.Group III ponds in the late Holocene landscape of the Provincelands dunes originated as interdunal bogs about 1000 yr B.P. and became ponds more recently as water-levels increased. Peat formation in the Provincelands reflects climatic changes evident on both sides of the Atlantic region.This is the 8th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest editor for these papers.     

烃类微渗漏的地物波谱探测原理与方法研究

通过对新疆塔里木盆地北缘油气谱的实测和分析，结合烃类微渗漏理论，讨论油气信息的波谱特征和遥感直接探测的机理。运用遥感技术探测油气信息，一是探测烃类微渗漏产生的地表理化异常，二是直接探测渗漏运移到地表的烃类物质或土壤吸烃信息。在塔北试验区，烃类组分异常是最直接，最有意义的标志，２．３２－２．３６μｍ的烃类吸收双谷位置，被确定为塔北地区油气遥感探测波段。     

对饱和粘性土渗透规律的新认识及其应用

通过实验，对饱和粘性土的渗透规律进行研究，得到几点新认识。利用此认识建立了饱和粘性土越流补给量的计算公式，并在实际应用中得到验证。     

A new theoretical solution of the effect of atmospheric pressure on water level

Based on the partial differential equation governing the effect of atmospheric pressure on water level of confined well, deriving the boundary condition and considering the seepage water between well and aquifer, the author obtained the analytical solution of water level change in time domain under the action of an atmospheric pressure history with the Laplace transform method. This solution is composed of two terms:stable and retarded terms. The stable term is the multiplication of barometric efficiency and simultaneous atmospheric pressure, and it implies the value of water level after infinite time when the atmospheric pressure is a constant from the time in question. The retarded term is the transient process due to the time lag of water exchange between well and aquifer. From the solution, it is obtained that the interference of atmospheric pressure on water level is the integral superimposition of the contribution of all atmospheric pressure changes before the time in question. So that, we further found out the response function of pulsive atmospheric pressure history. Calculation shows: (1) The pulsive response function starts from zero and tends to a steady value, which is proportional to the barometric efficiency, when the time tends to infinity; (2) The retarded time depends on the mechanical property of aquifer and the radius of well. The larger the seepage coefficient, the smaller the radius of well and the thicker the aquifer, then the shorter the retarded time gets. This solution can be used as the theoretical basis for further analysis of the atmospheric effect and practical correcting method in the future.     

Numerical simulation of groundwater flowing to horizontal seepage wells under a river

A horizontal seepage well, consisting of an interconnected vertical well, galleries, chambers and small-diameter radiating bores, is used to acquire relatively clean water that has been filtered through natural alluvial deposits in a riverbed. It has wide application, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The lack of calculation formulae or models for horizontal seepage wells, up until now, has resulted in several false applications. Based on the analysis of groundwater flow characteristics, it has been concluded that several flow regimes coexist and hydraulic head loss exists in the horizontal seepage well. To avoid the difficulty of confirming the flux or head distribution in such a complex system, the model boundary of the whole horizontal seepage well has been moved to that of just the vertical well, and the well-aquifer system was treated as a heterogeneous medium, where the horizontal seepage well itself is a highly permeability medium. A mathematical model has been developed, based on the coupled seepage-pipe flow, by the introduction of equivalent hydraulic conductivity according to different flow regimes. Then a three-dimensional finite difference numerical model, based on the mathematical model, was developed and applied to a horizontal seepage well in China. The numerical model verified the groundwater flow characteristics of the horizontal seepage well. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Simulated effect of a forest road on near‐surface hydrologic response: redux

In the work reported here the comprehensive physics‐based Integrated Hydrology Model (InHM) was employed to conduct both three‐ and two‐dimensional (3D and 2D) hydrologic‐response simulations for the small upland catchment known as C3 (located within the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon). Results from the 3D simulations for the steep unchannelled C3 (i) identify subsurface stormflow as the dominant hydrologic‐response mechanism and (ii) show the effect of the down‐gradient forest road on both the surface and subsurface flow systems. Comparison of the 3D results with the 2D results clearly illustrates the importance of convergent subsurface flow (e.g. greater pore‐water pressures in the hollow of the catchment for the 3D scenario). A simple infinite‐slope model, driven by subsurface pore‐water pressures generated from the 3D and 2D hydrologic‐response simulations, was employed to estimate slope stability along the long‐profile of the C3 hollow axis. As expected, the likelihood of slope failure is underestimated for the lower pore pressures from the 2D hydrologic‐response simulation compared, in a relative sense, to the higher pore pressures from the 3D hydrologic response simulation. The effort reported herein provides a firm quantitative foundation for generalizing the effects that forest roads can have on near‐surface hydrologic response and slope stability at the catchment scale. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

裂隙概化模型的非饱和渗流试验研究

借鉴多孔介质非饱和渗流试验的研究成果,研制出一套可同时测定单裂隙毛细压力-饱和度以及非饱和渗透系数-毛细压力关系的试验装置.为检验试验装置的可信度和试验原理的正确性,并初步探讨单裂隙非饱和渗流的机理,特制作了一阶梯开度的裂隙概化模型(本文称之为“S-H”裂隙模型),并在上述试验装置上进行了“S-H”裂隙模型的非饱和渗流试验,初步阐明了单裂隙非饱和渗流的一些基本水力特性,同时试验结果也表明本文试验装置和试验原理合理可靠.