Multi-factor sensitivity analysis on the stability of submarine hydrate-bearing slope

There are many factors affecting the instability of the submarine hydrate-bearing slope (SHBS), and the interaction with hydrate is very complicated. In this paper, the mechanical mechanism of the static liquefaction and instability of submarine slope caused by the dissociation of natural gas hydrate (NGH) resulting in the rapid increase of pore pressure of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) and the decrease of effective stress are analyzed based on the time series and type of SHBS. Then, taking the typical submarine slope in the northern South China Sea as an example, four important factors affecting the stability of SHBS are selected, such as the degree of hydrate dissociation, the depth of hydrate burial, the thickness of hydrate, and the depth of seawater. According to the principle of orthogonal method, 25 orthogonal test schemes with 4 factors and 5 levels are designed and the safety factors of submarine slope stability of each scheme are calculated by using the strength reduction finite element method. By means of the orthogonal design range analysis and the variance analysis, sensitivity of influential factors on stability of SHBS are obtained. The results show that the degree of hydrate dissociation is the most sensitive, followed by hydrate burial depth, the thickness of hydrate and the depth of seawater. Finally, the concept of gas hydrate critical burial depth is put forward according to the influence law of gas hydrate burial depth, and the numerical simulation for specific submarine slope is carried out, which indicates the existence of critical burial depth.     

伽师强震群的深部动力学条件

根据天山造山带及其两侧的塔里木盆地和准噶尔盆地的岩石圈二维速度结构、二维密度结构、二维电性结构、壳幔过渡带的详细结构以及大地热流和震源深度的分布,再结合对新疆西北部的蛇绿岩带、高压变质带和岩浆岩分布的综合分析,建立了天山造山带的地球动力学“层间插入消减”模型。该模型认为,塔里木板块的中上地壳在库尔勒断裂附近向天山造山带的中下地壳层间插入;而下地壳连同岩石圈地幔向天山造山带的上地幔俯冲消减。在天山的西段（哈萨克斯坦境内）,费尔干纳地块由北向南插入到南天山之下约180km的深处,在其东段（中国境内）,塔里木盆地由南向北插入南天山之下。这两个具有不同方向的下降板片的接触部位为费尔干纳走滑断裂。我国的伽师、喀什、乌恰地震区均落在这两个具有不同俯冲方向板块的结合部位附近,有着特殊的深部构造背景。南、北两大板块的双向挤压必定产生强大的应力,在地震区附近,这种应力的积累与释放具有4个显著的特点：（1）板片的俯冲消减速度约高达每年22mm左右;（2）应力的积累与释放速率加快;（3）应力释放较容易;（4）应力释放较为集中。这4个特点可能是伽师地区在较短的时间内连续发生数次强震的构造因素。     

Dynamic characteristics of marine soft clay under variable phase difference and initial static shear stress

Abstract

Under seismic loading, the soil layer is subjected to multidirectional cyclic shear stress with different amplitudes and frequencies because of the coupling of multiple shear waves and the soil element within a slope or behind a retaining wall is subjected to initial static shear stress before subjected to cyclic loading. Due to the complexity of seismic loading propagation, a phase difference exists between the initial static shear stress and cyclic shear stress. To investigate the influence of the phase difference and initial static shear stress on cyclic shear strain, cyclic modulus, and cyclic strength, a series of laboratory tests are performed on Wenzhou marine soft clay by multi-directional simple shear system, which can simulate the actual state better by controlling the horizontal cyclic stress in the x and y directions simultaneously. As the phase difference varies from 0° to 90°, the dynamic shear modulus increases and cyclic strain accumulation decreases with an increasing number of cycles. The shear strain increases with the initial shear stress.     

The thermal maturity of sedimentary basins as revealed by magnetic mineralogy

The thermal evolution of sedimentary basins is usually constrained by maturity data, which is interpreted from Rock-Eval pyrolysis and vitrinite reflectance analytical results on field or boreholes samples. However, some thermal evolution models may be inaccurate due to the use of elevated maturities measured in samples collected within an undetected metamorphic contact aureole surrounding a magmatic intrusion. In this context, we investigate the maturity and magnetic mineralogy of 16 claystone samples from Disko-Svartenhuk Basin, part of the SE Baffin Bay volcanic margin. Samples were collected within thermal contact metamorphic aureoles near magma intrusions, as well as equivalent reference samples not affected by intrusions. Rock-Eval pyrolysis (T_max), and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) analysis were performed to assess the thermal maturity, which lies in the oil window when 435°C ≤ T_max ≤ 470°C and 0.6%–0.7% ≤ Ro ≤ 1.3%. In addition, we performed low- (<300K) and high-temperature (>300K) investigations of isothermal remanent magnetization to assess the magnetic mineralogy of the selected samples. The maturity results (0.37% ≤ Ro ≤ 2%, 22°C ≤ T_max ≤ 604°C) show a predominance of immature to early mature Type III organic matter, but do not reliably identify the contact aureole when compared to the reference samples. The magnetic assemblage of the immature samples consists of iron sulphide (greigite), goethite and oxidized or non-stoichiometric magnetite. The magnetic assemblage of the early mature to mature samples consists of stoichiometric magnetite and fine-grained pyrrhotite (<1 μm). These results document the disappearance of the iron sulphide (greigite) and increase in content of magnetite during normal burial. On the other hand, magnetite is interpreted to be the dominant magnetic mineral inside the contact aureole surrounding dyke/sill intrusions where palaeotemperatures indicate mature to over-mature state. Interestingly, the iron sulphide (greigite) is still detected in the contact aureole where palaeotemperatures exceeded 130°C. Therefore, the magnetic mineralogy is a sensitive method that can characterize normal burial history, as well as identify hidden metamorphic contact aureoles where the iron sulphide greigite is present at temperatures beyond its stability field.     

降雨量、土壤蓄水量对流动沙地土壤水分深层渗漏的影响

土壤水分深层渗漏是陆地近地层水分循环的重要环节。利用土壤水分深层渗漏记录仪对毛乌素沙地典型流动沙丘不同深度土层的土壤渗漏水量连续进行两年定点监测。结果表明：（1）2016年生长季（4月1日至10月31日）降水量为2017年的1.93倍,但50、100、200 cm沙层的渗漏水量分别是2017年同期的4.53、5.53,5.22倍。同时,渗漏水量与降雨量及土壤蓄水量的波峰较一致。（2）强降雨对深层渗漏水量的影响较大,土壤蓄水量的变化也与深层渗漏水量密切相关;降雨量较小时,土壤蓄水量与深层渗漏水量之间的关系更为密切。在连续降雨过程中,越往深处,渗漏的产生通常是多次降雨过程累积的结果,将土壤蓄水量作为中间变量,能更好地分析土壤深层渗漏过程。（3）当天蓄水量与次日渗漏水量的相关系数较高,土层越深,深层渗漏水量与土壤蓄水量的相关系数增加,二者之间的线性拟合的R²也相应增加。     

黄土山区煤层群分层开采地表位移规律分析

为了研究黄土山区地形对煤层群开采地表位移的影响,以榆林某矿为地质原型,利用数值软件模拟地表为近水平、正坡、负坡、凸面和凹面五种地形条件下煤层群开采。结果表明:黄土山区地形的变化,对煤层群开采顶板垂直应力影响不明显,对地表位移影响较大;单向坡开采,斜坡滑移引起的下沉量在坡顶与开采沉陷量形成“叠加”,在坡底形成“抵消”;在组合坡中,煤层群开采地表位移量相差很大,说明在变坡点附近地表位移较为复杂。     

Effect of polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera on maize seedlings under NaCl stress

In this study, a polysaccharide from Enteromorpha prolifera (EP) was extracted and its effect on maize seedlings under NaCl stress was investigated. Firstly, the components and structure of the EP were determined. We found that EP is a sulfated polysaccharide of high-molecular weight (Mw, 1 840 KDa) heteropolysaccharides and the main monosaccharide is rhamnose. The polysaccharide was applied to explore its effect on the growth of maize seedlings and its defense response under a salt stress. The results show that EP could promote the growth of maize seedlings under the salt stress. In addition, EP was shown able to significantly regulate membrane permeability and adjustment of osmotic substances such as soluble protein, soluble sugar, and proline, antioxidant enzymes containing superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Therefore, EP is an effective salt-resistant substance for the growth of maize seedlings under NaCl stress.     

条斑紫菜酵母双杂交文库的构建及PyMAPK5互作蛋白的筛选

为进一步研究条斑紫菜促分裂原活化激酶家族PyMAPK5的下游互作蛋白,理解其生物学功能,本研究通过酵母双杂交的方法进行其相互作用蛋白的筛选。提取不同温度和失水逆境胁迫下的RNA,利用Invitrogen体系构建条斑紫菜酵母双杂交cDNA文库,其库容为1.44×107CFU,重组率为91.8%。以pGBKT7-PyMAPK5为诱饵蛋白载体,利用共转化方法,从文库中筛选得到26个与PyMAPK5互作的候选蛋白。候选蛋白集中在光系统II相关蛋白、捕光蛋白、微管蛋白、ATP酶、GTP结合蛋白及假设蛋白等。微管蛋白、捕光蛋白、光系统II蛋白一对一验证结果为阳性,表明在酵母体内存在互作。本研究为阐明条斑紫菜PyMAPK5与其互作蛋白的关系及解析PyMAPK5下游作用机制奠定了基础。     

Current-induced scour beneath initially elevated subsea pipelines

When a subsea pipeline is laid on an uneven seabed, certain sections may have an initial elevation with respect to the far-field seabed, e_o, and thus potentially affecting the on-bottom stability of the pipeline. This paper focuses on quantifying the effects of the upstream dimensionless seabed shear stress, θ_∞, and Reynolds number, Re, on: (1) the maximum dimensionless seabed shear stress beneath the pipe, θ_max, to be compared to the critical shear stress in order to determine whether scour would occur and progress towards an equilibrium state; and, (2) the dimensionless equilibrium scour depth beneath the pipe, S_eq/D. Using a 2-D Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach along with the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, a parametric study involving 243 computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations was conducted. The simulation results were used to develop a closed-form equation for the prediction of θ_max. Subsequently, experimental measurements of S_eq/D have been compiled from published literature, to develop a new closed-form equation for the prediction of S_eq/D with a high correlation to the experimental data. In summary, we present two closed-form equations for the prediction of θ_max and S_eq/D for pipelines with an initial e_o/D, which are applicable for both clear-water and live-bed conditions. The effects of θ_∞ and Re have been included, albeit Re having a small influence as compared to the other parameters.     

Wedge impact with the influence of ice

This work presents a canonical study on a wedge entering water near a single piece of ice using computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD) and a Wagner-type theoretical model with corrections for non-linear effects. Calculations for a series of conditions with ice of different sizes and locations relative to the wedge are conducted. The hydrodynamic force due to impact, the pressure distribution on the wedge surface, and the pile-up phenomenon are examined to study the role of ice in the impact process. The theoretical model is shown to be accurate and can serve as a useful method to assess slamming loads under the influence of ice. It is shown that even for the case of a small piece of ice, the slamming force on the wedge can increase by 30%.