Marine protected areas—substantiating their worth

With the UK Marine Bill promoting the creation of a network of marine protected areas and similar commitments in other countries there is a need for tools to assist in their design and management. Although physical science often drives designation, the implementation of marine protected areas also encompasses political and socio-economic issues. This paper focuses on one tool in the armoury of decision-makers: choice experiments. It illustrates its application to the quantification of aspects of socio-economic value not readily incorporated into the evaluation of the costs and benefits of marine protected areas utilising cold-water deep coral reefs off the Republic of Ireland.     

Probability of Sediment Incipient Motion Under Complex Flows

Presented in this paper is a mathematical model to calculate the probability of the sediment incipient motion,in which the effects of the fluctuating pressure and the seepage are considered.The instantaneous bed shear velocity and the pressure gradient on the bed downstream of the backward-facing step flow are obtained according to the PIV measurements.It is found that the instantaneous pressure gradient on the bed obeys normal distribution.The probability of the sediment incipient motion on the bed downstream of the backward-facing step flow is given by the mathematical model.The predicted results agree well with the experiment in the region downstream of the reattachment point while a large discrepancy between the theory and experiment is seen in the region near the reattachment point.The possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.     

施肥对新垦绿洲风沙土肥力及碳积累的影响

利用2005年安排在临泽边缘绿洲沙地农田的长期施肥定位试验,研究不同用量有机肥、化肥、有机肥和化肥配施对绿洲沙地土壤肥力及有机碳积累的影响。试验包括高量有机肥单施(M3),氮磷化肥单施(NP3),低、中、高量氮磷钾化肥单施(NPK1,NPK2,NPK3),及低、中、高量氮磷钾化肥配施高、中、低量有机肥9个处理(NPK1M3,NPK2M2,NPK3M1),测定分析10年后不同施肥处理耕层(0~20 cm)土壤物理化学性状特征及有机碳动态。结果表明:施有机肥及有机无机配施处理较单施化肥处理容重下降0.13 g·cm^-3,田间持水量提高6.7%,单施有机肥、有机无机配施较单施化肥,土壤有机碳(SOC)和全氮含量分别提高64.8%、36.3%和64.9%、49.5%。高量施用氮磷化肥和氮磷钾化肥处理全磷含量最高,有机肥及有机无机配施较单施化肥有效氮含量显著增加,有机无机配施及高量施用磷肥土壤有效磷积累明显,高量施用有机肥能显著提升有效钾含量。连续施肥处理10年后,SOC含量提高了1.68~2.84倍,土壤全氮、全磷、碱解氮及有效磷均有一定程度的提高,但单施化肥及有机肥与氮磷化肥配施有效钾含量下降。SOC的积累速率单施化肥、有机无机配施、单施有机肥处理分别为0.27、0.59,0.87 g·kg^-1·a^-1。增施有机肥、适量减少化肥投入、氮磷钾化肥的平衡施用是绿洲沙地农田土壤肥力持续提升的施肥管理对策。     

基于剪切波速的深层砂土地震液化研究

阐述了剪切波速法判别饱和砂土液化的原理,结合武汉地区某工程实例,对场地内埋深超越"规范法"适用范围的砂层进行液化判别,确定场地的临界液化深度。通过与室内动三轴试验的对比得出,2种方法的液化判别结果及确定的临界液化深度均吻合较好,验证了以剪切波速为指标的液化评估方法的可行性。     

黄河口粉质土沉积物侵蚀性动态变化试验研究

通过一系列室内试验,研究了黄河口粉质类沉积物在循环动荷载作用后侵蚀性的变化.在试验中,采用真空预压固结装置制备重塑土样,采用液压伺服土动三轴试验机实现了不同幅值及不同振次的动荷载作用条件,并通过动三轴静态试验及贯入强度测试,测定了动荷载作用后土样强度的变化.通过水槽冲刷试验测试了不同条件的动荷载作用后,土样抗冲刷能力的变化,并进行了临界剪切应力的计算.试验结果表明:对于黄河口粉质类沉积物,动荷载作用后其强度及抗侵蚀性均降低;沉积物强度指标(不排水剪切强度、残余强度、贯入阻力)、侵蚀性指标(起动流速、临界剪切应力、冲刷率)与动荷载幅值、动荷载振次均呈现出较好的线性相关性.     

燕山水库的主要环境工程地质问题

本文在简要介绍燕山水库工程地质环境的基础上,分析论述了可能产生的环境工程地质问题。指出水库淹没及浸没、水库诱发地震、坝基渗透变形及膨胀土体稳定问题是该水库的主要环境工程地质问题,并提出了进一步研究的途径。     

埋深对恐龙化石的影响效果研究

已发现的恐龙化石大多数埋藏在不同深度的地层中,不同埋深化石所受风化破坏程度不尽相同。为深入研究恐龙化石的风化机理,探究恐龙化石的保护措施和方法,重点分析埋深产生的侧向压力对恐龙化石强度和破坏特性的影响。通过有限差分软件FLAC3D进行数值模拟,揭示埋深因素对恐龙化石保存的影响程度。试验结果表明:围岩对恐龙化石施加的侧向压力是影响恐龙化石变形和强度特性的一个重要因素。在弹性变形阶段,恐龙化石的初始强度、峰值强度随侧向压力的增大而不断增大。当应力超过了恐龙化石极限强度后进入塑性变形,其初始强度、峰值强度逐渐减小,最终达到残余强度。     

石家庄地面水回渗地下过程的氮行为影响试验研究

石家庄是我国北方地下水位下降较大的城市之一,利用其毗邻滹沱河宽阔河滩,地面水可直接入渗补给地下水的有利水文地质条件,实施地面水回渗地下工程,将具有现实意义.为探索地面水回渗后的水质变化,该文针对地面水在回渗过程中对水质起限制性影响的氮行为作用进行了模拟试验研究.结果显示,利用2 m厚的滹沱河细砂土及与粘土按一定比例的混合砂土层,可对间歇式实施地面水回渗中的铵氮组分形成一定容量的截留去除,并且该截留量又在随回渗次数的增加而缓慢下降,当采用人工增加环境碱度及湿度的办法后可消除这种下降.同时,还显示对回渗水中硝酸氮的去除率不高,但若采用人工添加乙醇碳源和接种优势脱氮微生物菌种方法,硝酸氮的去除率将会得到较大提高.     

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.