The 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse: Possible cause and impacts of the worst human and environmental disaster in Brazil

On 25th January 2019, the tailings dam of the Brumadinho iron mine operated by Vale S/A failed catastrophically. The death toll stood at 259 and 11 people remained missing as of January 2020. This tragedy occurred three years after Mariana’s tailings dam rupture – the most significant tailing dam disaster in Brazilian history. Thus far, a systematic investigation on the cause and effect of the failure has yet to be conducted. Here, we use satellite-driven soil moisture index, multispectral high-resolution imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) products to assess pre-disaster scenarios and the direct causes of the tailings dam collapse. A decreasing trend in the moisture content at the surface and the full evanescence of pond water through time (2011–2019) suggest that the water was gradually penetrating the fill downwards and caused the seepage erosion, saturating the tailings dam. Large-scale slumping of the dam (extensional failure) upon the rupture indicates that the materials of the fill were already saturated. InSAR measurements reveal a dramatic, up to 30 cm subsidence in the dam (at the rear part) within the past 12 months before the dam collapse, signifying that the sediments had been removed from the fill. Although the information on the resistance level of the tailings dam to infiltrations is not available, these pieces of evidence collectively indicate that the seepage erosion (piping) is the primary cause for the chronic weakening of the structure and, hence, the internal “liquefaction” condition. Upon the collapse, the fully saturated mud tailings flowed down the gentle slope area (3.13 × 10⁶ m²), where 73 % were originally covered by tree, grass or agricultural tracts. The toxic mud eventually reached the Paraopeba River after travelling 10 km, abruptly increasing the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration and the toxic chemical elements in the river, immediately affecting the local livelihoods that depend on its water. The Paraopeba River is a major tributary of the San Francisco River, the second-longest river in Brazil reaching the Atlantic Ocean. We anticipate that the environmental repercussions of this toxic seepage will be felt throughout the entire basin, especially riverine communities located downstream.     

氯化物型盐碱地池塘底泥中水溶性盐的分布特征

1997－1999年夏天，对位于黄河下游的氯化物型盐碱地池塘底泥中的水溶性盐进行了分析。结果表明：底泥中的含盐量，SO^2-4,Ca^2 ,Mg^2 含量是随着塘龄的增加而升高，而其余离子基本不随塘龄的增加而变化。各离子的垂直分布为“泥－土”混合层的含量较低，“水－泥”交界层含量较高。     

浙江南部近海沉积物柱状样中脂类生物标志物的组成及形态分布

分析了浙江南部近海(东海陆架泥质区)沉积物柱状样中游离态和碱不稳定结合态脂类生物标志物的组成.沉积物中的脂肪酸呈现以C16脂肪酸为主峰的单峰形分布趋势,具明显偶碳优势,除表层沉积物中脂肪酸以游离态为主外,结合态为柱状样中脂肪酸的主要存在形态,脂肪酸的垂直分布主要由降解作用控制;以甾醇和脂肪醇为主体的醇酮组分主要以游离态...     

富营养化滩涂生物修复研究进展

近年来,随着海水富营养化加剧,滩涂沉积物多项重要理化参数也随之恶化,进而导致滩涂底质生境退化,表现出较为明显的富营养化趋势。为改善和恢复滩涂沉积物的生态环境,国内外学者进行了较多的生物境修复探索研究工作。作者概述了滩涂富营养化的现状及原因,各种滩涂生物修复技术的原理、特点及其修复效果,分析了各类生境修复技术的优缺点。同时,就滩涂生境修复技术在滩涂修复和海洋环境保护领域今后的研究重点进行了展望。     

绿色海堤的沉积地貌与生态系统动力学原理: 研究综述*

绿色海堤是传统结构工程与海岸生态系统共同组合而成的新型海堤, 用以应对未来海面上升、风暴加剧给低地海岸防护带来的挑战。需解决的问题主要有海岸生态系统消浪过程及生态系统在海堤体系中的配置方式。理论分析、现场观测、物模数模所获结果表明, 海岸生态系统确有显著的消浪功能: 1) 陆架泥区消浪, 其机制以再悬浮和浮泥运动为主, 底部摩擦为次; 2) 潮滩下部的粉砂细砂滩底部摩擦和推移质运动共同造成波能耗散, 而上部的泥滩则以再悬浮和悬沙输运为主; 3) 在盐沼、红树林、海草床等由植被构成的生态系统, 植物通过形态阻力、茎秆运动来阻滞水流、耗散波能, 其效能高于沉积物床面对波能的耗散; 4) 生物礁主要有珊瑚礁和牡蛎礁, 其消能作用主要通过床面摩擦和波浪破碎, 效能较高, 尤其是在风暴期间。生态系统如何成为海堤的有机组成部分, 尤其是侵蚀型海岸的生态位修复和绿色海堤整体设计, 还需进一步研究相关的科学问题: 与硬质工程结合的盐沼-牡蛎礁的适应性生物学; 未来环境变化条件下生态系统的稳定性; 绿色海堤生态系统空间配置及其与风暴事件的时间尺度匹配; 基于均衡剖面理论的海堤形态优化。     

Non-equilibrium flocculation characteristics of fine-grained sediments in grid-generated turbulent flow

Results are presented from a series of settling column experiments investigating temporal variations in the flocculation characteristics of purely cohesive (kaolin clay) sediment suspensions and cohesive (kaolin) and non-cohesive (fine sand) sediment fraction mixtures. Experimental runs were conducted under controlled hydrodynamic conditions generated by a rigid array of in-phase oscillating grids. The results indicated that rapid initial floc aggregation occurred under low turbulent shear rates, with peak maximal and root-mean-square (r.m.s.) floc sizes (∼ 400 μm and ∼ 200 μm, respectively) attained after relatively short time periods, before reducing with time. By contrast, lower aggregation rates and smaller floc sizes were observed under higher shear conditions, with flocs retaining suspended in the settling column for longer time scales due to the increased turbulence. The mud input concentration displayed some correlation with maximal and r.m.s. floc sizes at higher shear rates but no correlation was apparent at low shear rates. This observed floc behaviour may be attributed to the differences in concentration gradients at high and low shear rates that affect both floc settling rate and time required for flocs to attain equilibrium size. The addition of the fine sand fraction to the kaolin clay suspension reduced both the initial floc formation (i.e. aggregation) rate and the maximal and r.m.s. floc sizes attained throughout the experiments. The reduction in maximal floc sizes appeared to be enhanced by an increase in the ratio of fine sand to kaolin clay content within the mixture.     

王588块泥浆污染深穿透酸液研究与评价

王588块钻井泥浆污染主要是固相入侵和滤液与地层水的不配伍性。通过实验,优选出了具有高效深穿透能力以及固相溶解量大的表面活性剂DS-101酸液复配体系。实验表明,该体系耐温性强,对油泥具有极强的分散和溶解作用,对泥浆污染有明显的解堵效果,岩心渗透率恢复率可达127%。     

尼日尔三角洲东部深水区构造特征及其形成机理

研究尼日尔三角洲东部深水区块发现,整个盆地从陆向洋具有3个大的构造分区：伸展拉张区、过渡区和挤压逆冲区。伸展区以大型同沉积断层伴生大量滚动背斜构造为特征,过渡区发育大量泥底辟构造,挤压区以复杂的逆冲叠瓦构造为主。通过分析形成机理,揭示东部深水转换带上M研究区构造特征,按构造的演化特征将该区构造分为泥底辟型、冲断-泥底辟混合型、逆冲型3种类型,提出研究区内的圈闭主要以构造-岩性圈闭为主,为尼日尔三角洲盆地深水勘探提供新的理论指导。     

台风作用下淤泥质海岸动力地貌响应

基于200509号麦莎台风(近似百年一遇)作用前后杭州湾北岸龙泉-南竹港实测的海岸地形和水文资料,利用分形技术、冲刷深度和闭合水深等相关概念分析淤泥质海岸的剖面变化、岸线进退以及地形冲淤,进而探讨海岸响应台风作用的动力地貌行为.结果表明:1)台风作用前后的海岸动力地貌过程表现为水下类似沙坝的堆积体削平、凹处填洼,水下平台发育锯齿或较小的坝--槽,海岸剖面的分维数降低,剖面坡度处于平缓;2)麦莎台风对海床的整体冲淤幅度不大,这可能是由于研究区大潮讯的增水致使波浪对海床的塑造能力减弱以及码头的遮蔽作用造成;3)台风作用对海岸的冲刷深度约为0.8 m,闭合水深为9.5 m,近岸-1 m邻近区成为海岸响应台风作用最敏感的地带;泥沙主要在0 m到闭合水深区间的海床发生纵、横向运移.     

取土器几何尺寸对饱和软黏土样结构的扰动研究

基于颗粒流软件模拟,以吹填淤泥为例,分析了取土器的内径、切角、壁厚等尺寸参数对高黏性软土微观动力学特性的影响;通过分层方法,比较了7组土样层间颗粒特征拐点的运动行为。模拟结果表明:土样的颗粒在底部形成对流位移场,对流处上方颗粒主要受拉膨胀,对流处下方颗粒主要受压收缩,由此造成孔隙率的规律变化和层理的弯曲变形。7组参数对应土样的孔隙率曲线与初始孔隙率曲线的交点同颗粒位移场的对流位置存在协同关系。土样层理表现为向下弯曲变形,层间颗粒位移行为存在特征拐点,拐点之间颗粒扰动行为不明显;反之,颗粒扰动行为较大,这种变形特征可拟合为下开口的旋转抛物面,且曲面方程的曲面形状拟合系数a值能初步评估7组土样的扰动程度。层间特征拐点的连线可再拟合为旋转抛物面,抛物面体积与土样体积的比值可用来评估土样的原状性。