High-resolution sedimentary record of lead in the coastal mud of the East China Sea in the past one hundred and fifty years

In the East China Sea （ECS）, there are some mud areas, including the south coastal mud area, the north coastal mud area, and the mud area to the southwest of Cheju Island. X-ray fluorescence （XRF） techniques and Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry （TIMS） were used to study the high-resolution sedimentary record of Pb concentrations and Pb stable isotopic compositions in the past one hundred and fifty years in the coastal mud of the ECS. Pb concentrations of a ^210Pb dating S5 core in the study area have increased rapidly since 1980, and reached the maximal value with 65.08 μg/g in 2000, corresponding to the fast economic development of China since the implementation of the ＂Reform and Open Policy＂ in 1978; ^206Pb/^207Pb ratios generally had stabilized at 1.195 from 1860 to 1966, and decreased gradually from 1966 to 2000, indicating that the anthropogenic source Pb contribution to the ECS has increased gradually since 1966, especially since 1980. Pb concentrations decreased distinctly from 2000 to 2003 and ^206Pb/^207Pb ratios increased from 2001 to 2003, corresponding closely to the ban of lead gasoline from 2000 in China. From 1950 to 2003, there occurred four distinct decrease events of ^206Pb/^207Pb, possibly responding to the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） catastrophic floods in 1998, 1991, 1981 and 1954; from 1860 to 1966, there were two decrease periods of ^206Pb/^207Pb, which may respond to the catastrophic floods of Changjiang River in 1931 and 1935, and 1870. As a result of the erosion and drowning by the catastrophic floods, the anthropogenic lead accumulated in soil and water environments over a long period of time was brought into the Changjiang River, then part of them was finally transported into the ECS, which leads to changes in Pb stable isotopic composition.     

The structure and dynamics of 2-dimensional fluids in swelling clays

The interlayer pores of swelling 2:1 clays provide an ideal 2-dimensional environment in which to study confined fluids. In this paper we discuss our understanding of the structure and dynamics of interlayer fluid species in expanded clays, based primarily on the outcome of recent molecular modelling and neutron scattering studies. Counterion solvation is compared with that measured in bulk solutions, and at a local level the cation-oxygen coordination is found to be remarkably similar in these two environments. However, for the monovalent ions the contribution to the first coordination shell from the clay surfaces increases with counterion radius. This gives rise to inner-sphere (surface) complexes in the case of potassium and caesium. In this context, the location of the negative clay surface charge (i.e. arising from octahedral or tetrahedral substitution) is also found to be of major importance. Divalent cations, such as calcium, eagerly solvate to form outer-sphere complexes. These complexes are able to pin adjacent clay layers together, and thereby prevent colloidal swelling. Confined water molecules form hydrogen bonds to each other and to the clays' surfaces. In this way their local environment relaxes to close to the bulk water structure within two molecular layers of the clay surface. Finally, we discuss the way in which the simple organic molecules methane, methanol and ethylene glycol behave in the interlayer region of hydrated clays. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering of isotopically labelled interlayer CH₃OD and (CH₂OD)₂ in deuterated clay allows us to measure the diffusion of the CH₃- and CH₂-groups in both clay and liquid environments. We find that in both the one-layer methanol solvates and the two-layer glycol solvates the diffusion of the most mobile organic molecules is close to that in the bulk solution.     

Heavy metals in freshly deposited sediments of the river Subernarekha, India: an example of lithogenic and anthropogenic effects

Heavy metal distribution patterns in river sediments aid in understanding the exogenic cycling of elements as well as in assessing the effect of anthropogenic influences. In India, the Subernarekha river flows over the Precambrian terrain of the Singhbhum craton in eastern India. The rocks are of an iron ore series and the primary rock types are schist and quartzite. One main tributary, the Kharkhai, flows through granite rocks and subsequently flows through the schist and quartzite layers. The Subernarekha flows through the East Singhbhum district, which is one of India’s industrialised areas known for ore mining, steel production, power generation, cement production and other related activities. Freshly deposited river sediments were collected upstream and downstream the industrial zone. Samples were collected from four locations and analysed in <63-μm sediment fraction for heavy metals including Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu by anodic stripping voltammetry. Enrichment of these elements over and above the local natural concentration level has been calculated and reported. Sediments of the present study are classified by Muller’s geo-accumulation index (I _geo) and vary from element to element and with climatic seasons. During pre-monsoon period the maximum I _geo value for Zn is moderately to highly polluted and for Cu and Pb is moderately polluted, respectively, based on the Muller’s standard. Anthropogenic, lithogenic or cumulative effects of both components are the main reasons for such variations in I _geo values. The basic igneous rock layer through which the river flows or a seasonal rivulet that joins with the main river may be the primary source for lithogenic components.     

The log-normal distribution for hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays: Two or three parameters?

Risk and uncertainty assessments for waste containment systems employing clay barriers often include spatial variability in the hydraulic conductivity as part of the analysis. The two-parameter log-normal distribution is often used to describe the spatial variability, but for compacted clays the three-parameter form can be more appropriate. A statistical hypothesis test was developed that can be used to determine if the two- or three-parameter form of the log-normal distribution is more appropriate. The test is based on a likelihood ratio, comparing likelihood functions for the two- and three-parameter forms at their maximums. Likelihood functions are used assuming that a data set can be segregated into a set of distinct groups of hydraulic conductivities. A step-by-step calculation procedure is described and the test is applied to data collected from 45 sites.     

大气CO2浓度升高对土壤中不同粒级碳的影响

不同粒级土壤中的碳有着不同的周转规律，在高CO2浓度条件下，它们含量的变化将在一定程度上反映土壤碳是累积还是减少，对明确土壤碳的变化趋势有重要意义．采用田间培养试验初步模拟研究在高CO2浓度条件下土壤不同粒级碳的分布．结果表明，加入秸秆培养1年，由于CO2浓度升高的原因导致在低氮（LN）、常规氮（NN）和高氮（HN）水平下土壤中碳分别增加0．01、1．10、1．22g／kg，表现为粒级〈53μm土壤颗粒中碳分别增加1．53、2．19、2．70g／kg．粒级〈53μmm土壤颗粒碳量的增加，主要是由于其重量分配百分数显著增加36．2％，碳浓度增加5．4％；粒级〉250μm和250～53μm土壤颗粒部分虽然其碳浓度分别增加20．8％和17．3％（P〈0．05），怛由于重量分配百分数分别显著降低22．8％和36．1％，结果碳量降低．试验表明高CO2浓度导致不同粒级土壤的分配及碳浓度的变化；高氮施肥水平下有增加土壤碳量特别是小粒级土壤碳量的趋势．     

A simple hypoplastic model for normally consolidated clay

The paper presents a simple constitutive model for normally consolidated clay. A mathematical formulation, using a single tensor-valued function to define the incrementally nonlinear stress–strain relation, is proposed based on the basic concept of hypoplasticity. The structure of the tensor-valued function is determined in the light of the response envelope. Particular attention is paid towards incorporating the critical state and to the capability for capturing undrained behaviour of clayey soils. With five material parameters that can be determined easily from isotropic consolidation and triaxial compression tests, the model is shown to provide good predictions for the response of normally consolidated clay along various stress paths, including drained true triaxial tests and undrained shear tests.     

大洋粘土制备白炭黑后的铝回收实验研究

为了回收大洋粘土制备白炭黑后残液中的Al3 ,并获得氧化铝超细粉体,实验选用NH3.H2O为沉淀剂,在常温下采用沉淀法使残液中Al3 以氢氧化铝形式沉淀并去除其它杂质离子,然后将得到的沉淀在1200℃灼烧,保温1h。利用IR和XRD测试了产物的物相组成和结构,证实实验可以获得纯度较高的α-Al2O3;而SEM和粒度分析结果显示产物粒度细小,部分颗粒可以达到纳米级;BET结果显示Al2O3的比表面积可达32m2/g。根据氧化铝结构和性能等优选的实验条件为大洋粘土的进一步开发利用提供了参考依据。     

甘肃灵台黄土-红粘土序列中坡缕石的分布及其古气候意义

坡缕石是典型的干旱、强蒸发环境的指示矿物,黄土-红粘土序列中坡缕石的分布对古气候和古环境重建具有重要的指示意义。本文对灵台任家坡剖面中黄土、古土壤和红粘土代表性样品进行了场发射扫描电镜和高分辨透射电镜观察,结果发现,在3.6Ma以前沉积的红粘土中存有大量的自生坡缕石,而在3.2Ma以来沉积的红粘土及其上覆黄土古土壤序列没有坡缕石。剖面样品扫描电镜原位观察形貌特征和微观结构显示,坡缕石属于成壤作用自生矿物,系由伊蒙矿物在富镁孔隙液作用下转化形成。灵台剖面中坡缕石消失的层位与红粘土磁化率升高和粉尘通量及沉积速率增加的层位相一致。坡缕石在剖面中的分布指示3.6～3.2Ma前后是东亚季风的重要转型期,东亚古气候格局发生改变,由连续干暖的夏季风占主导向干冷冬季风和暖湿夏季风高频强波动交替环境演化。     

成都粘土路堑边坡防护研究

成都外环路高速公路东半环超过有20km的路段处在成都粘土分布区，针对成都粘土的易滑性，本文提出了全封闭的浆砌片石护坡，土钉墙，非全封闭的锚杆框架护坡，钢纤维混凝土喷锚全封闭护坡，重力式挡土墙等五种方法处理成都粘土路堑边坡工程，施工实践表明，这些方法行之有效，在该类土的边坡防护中值得推广。     

南宁球粘土地质特征及矿床成因

广西南宁市郊区维罗矿区的球粘土产于新生代第四纪的更新统（Q3），曾由广西第四地质队详查证实为一大型矿床（探明会计师数千万吨），被定为高岭土矿床或耐火粘土矿床，或为其变种。认为其质量好而规模大且便于露天开采。球粘土主要由无序高岭石组成，其矿床成因系由火山岩经风化残积部分热液而成的原生高岭土再受水流冲刷剥蚀长距离搬运磨蚀而沉积于维罗等湖沼中。其中相当一部分高岭石在透射电镜下呈六角片状外形，系自生的胶体化学沉积，属于生物成矿的结果；而整体成因应属于碎屑-胶体混合沉积的球粘土矿床。