Engineering geology of loess and loess-like deposits: a commentary on the Russian literature

Loess and loess-like deposits were much studied in the Soviet Union, and are currently under investigation in Russia and surrounding countries. There is a vast literature in Russian, which touches on all aspects of loess science and technology. In particular, the studies of the origin of collapsibility are almost totally in Russian, and of course studies on the various regions of Russia and the countries of the Former Soviet Union FSU appear in Russian. This review looks at the literature in Russian and attempts to pick out key contributors, major topics and works and to identify the critical regions and zones of investigation. Because so many regions of the FSU had people living on loess ground, there is a vast literature on engineering geology and ground engineering topics, and this tends to dominate all the literature on loess in Russian. Following Russian practice, the fine-grained deposits under consideration are divided into loess and loess-like deposits. Three main topics are recognised across the whole spectrum of loess research: formation and distribution of loess deposits; stratigraphy, cyclicity and palaeoclimatology; and engineering topics, in particular hydrocollapse and subsidence, and we concentrate on the engineering geology topics. An attempt is made, based on the map of Abelev and Abelev [Abelev, Yu.M., Abelev, M.Yu., 1968. Fundamentals of design and construction on collapsible macroporous soils, 2nd ed. Stroiizdat, Moscow, 431 pp. (in Russian)] of collapsing loess deposits, to define seven loess regions within the geographical limits of the old USSR. The seven regions are those where geotechnical problems might be expected.     

Measuring the k–S–p relations on DNAPLs migration

Migration characteristics of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in the subsurface can be expressed as a water–DNAPL two-phase system based on mainly the k–S–p relations, which describe the relations among relative permeability (k), degree of water saturation (S), and capillary pressure head (p). The aims of this research are to develop an experimental system with new type of probes, such as the electrical conductivity probe for measuring the degree of water saturation and the hydrophilic and hydrophobic tensiometer for measuring the pore water and DNAPL pressures, and also to estimate the results obtained from the developed experimental system. From these tests, the excellent k–S–p relations were obtained and the efficiency and validity of this developed experimental system have been confirmed in terms of the concept of the scaling coefficient calculated by interfacial tensions.     

TEM study of a special grain boundary in a synthetic K-feldspar bicrystal: Manebach Twin

 A monoclinic KAlSi₃O₈ feldspar Manebach twin boundary was synthesized by diffusion bonding and examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The sharp (001) twin boundary is straight and free of strain. The boundary width is smaller than d₀₀₁. There is no rigid body shift observed at the twin boundary, and the feldspar structure is arranged symmetrically across (001). The twin boundary structure consists of bridged tetrahedral crankshafts, which are characteristic of the feldspar lattice. The grain boundary structure is in good agreement with the geometrical model of Taylor et al. (1934). The grain boundary composition of K_1/2H_1/2AlSi₃O₈ differs from their model. Received: 13 February 2002 / Accepted: 24 December 2002 Acknowledgements We thank M. Rühle, S. Hutt, J. Mayer, A. Strecker and U. Salzberger at MPI, Stuttgart, for their support and valuable advice in preparing TEM sections of bicrystals.     

土体颗粒破碎研究进展

在打入桩的桩端以及大型土石坝、海洋平台等的地基中常常会出现高应力区。在这些高应力区中,作为地基的粒状土的颗粒会发生不同程度的破碎。对高应力水平下粒状土体的破碎特性进行深入研究有助于解决这一类型的岩土工程问题。因此近年来土体颗粒破碎逐渐引起人们的重视。本文对土体颗粒破碎研究现状进行了详尽的阐述,并指出研究中存在的问题及今后研究发展方向。     

西北地区东部春季土壤湿度变化的初步研究

利用中国西北地区东部 (包括宁夏、内蒙古西部以及甘肃、陕西两省 35°N以北地区 )农业气象站近 2 0年固定地段旬土壤湿度资料 ,对该地区春季土壤湿度的变化进行了初步分析。结果表明 ,中国西北地区东部土壤湿度的变化具有 3年左右的周期 ,而且 2 0世纪 90年代以来呈下降的趋势 ,这与该地区的降水和气温变化有关系 ;西北地区东部的土壤湿度变化对该地区群发性沙尘暴的爆发有一定影响     

印度洋春、夏季海温对西藏高原夏季降水的影响

利用NCEP提供的1950—1997年全球月平均海表面温度场资料，首先通过EOF分解得到不同季节印度洋海温场空间分布特征，并在此基础上使用合成分析、相关分析和SVD分解等多种方法讨论了印度洋前期和同期海温异常与西藏高原夏季降水变化的关系。寻找出影响高原夏季降水的关键海区，目的为高原夏季早涝预测提供参考依据。     

华北汛期降水异常与100hPa高度场异常的关系

利用华北17站1951～2000年的逐月降水资料,与前期的100 hPa高度场(1958～1997年)求相关,找到了100 hPa高度场影响华北地区汛期降水的关键影响区为25°～35°N,85°～105°E,对应的关键影响时段为前一年3～5月.然后用SVD方法证实了前一年春季正是与华北汛期降水相关最显著的时段;而所选关键区正是处于一种范围更大的100 hPa高度场空间分布型的关键部位,而华北地区是关键区影响中国东部降水的最显著的区域之一.     

天山北坡牧草生长季节土壤水分变化特征探讨

通过对牧业气象试验站多年土壤水分观测资料的整理分析，认为夏季土壤水分比较丰富，其随深度分布呈降水型；春季土壤水分含量最少，秋季次之，其随深度分布呈蒸发、降水型。旬土壤水分含量在牧草生长期呈两峰三谷型。     

江淮流域夏季严重旱涝与大气季节内振荡

利用NCEP/NCAR的再分析资料和中国气象局国家气象中心提供的中国台站降水资料,分析研究了江淮流域大范围严重旱涝的20-70天大气季节内振荡(ISO)特征。结果表明,对应江淮流域严重涝年,200hPa青藏高原北部存在ISO气旋性环流,青藏高原南部存在ISO反气旋性环流;大气ISO流型在对流层中低层850hPa主要是我国长江以南、南海和西太平洋地区为大气ISO反气旋性环流,我国长江以北到日本地区的大气ISO气旋性环流,我国江淮流域位于这两个ISO涡旋西侧偏南气流和偏北气流的交汇处;旱年反之。利用向量经验正交展开方法得到,上述大气ISO环流型分别是旱涝年大气ISO流型的第一模态,并且涝年大气ISO流型的振幅强,旱年振幅弱。进一步分析揭示,严重洪涝(干旱)年分别对应对流层中上层江淮流域及其以北的中高纬度地区有强(弱)的大气ISO活动。中高纬度地区的大气ISO在严重洪涝年向南传播,与低纬度向北传播的大气ISO在江淮流域汇合;而在严重干旱年,虽然大气ISO可向北传播,但向南的传播却很不明显。     

影响广西的孟湾风暴

统计分析了1973年以来影响广西的孟湾风暴天气气候情况及环流特征,总结出该类天气演变的一般规律及预报着眼点,为提高天气预报准确率提供有益参考。