Process identification at a slow‐moving landslide in the Vorarlberg Alps

A fine‐grained slope that exhibits slow movement rates was investigated to understand how geohydrological processes contribute to a consecutive development of mass movements in the Vorarlberg Alps, Austria. For that purpose intensive hydrometeorological, hydrogeological and geotechnical observations as well as surveying of surface movement rates were conducted during 1998–2001. Subsurface water dynamics at the creeping slope turned out to be dominated by a three‐dimensional pressure system. The pressure reaction is triggered by fast infiltration of surface water and subsequent lateral water flow in the south‐western part of the hillslope. The related pressure signal was shown to propagate further downhill, causing fast reactions of the piezometric head at 5·5 m depth on a daily time scale. The observed pressure reactions might belong to a temporary hillslope water body that extends further downhill. The related buoyancy forces could be one of the driving forces for the mass movement. A physically based hydrological model was adopted to model simultaneously surface and subsurface water dynamics including evapotranspiration and runoff production. It was possible to reproduce surface runoff and observed pressure reactions in principle. However, as soil hydraulic functions were only estimated on pedotransfer functions, a quantitative comparison between observed and simulated subsurface dynamics is not feasible. Nevertheless, the results suggest that it is possible to reconstruct important spatial structures based on sparse observations in the field which allow reasonable simulations with a physically based hydrological model. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creep of saturated materials as a chemically enhanced rate‐dependent damage process

Material behaviour that exhibits characteristics of creep induced by a spontaneous mineral dissolution enhanced by material damage is studied. It is believed that the characteristic rates of the chemical processes involved determine the time‐rate dependence of the resulting strain. A basic model of a combined chemo‐plastic softening and chemically enhanced deviatoric strain hardening for saturated geomaterials is presented. Chemical softening is postulated to occur as a consequence of the net mass removal resulting from dissolution and precipitation of specific minerals occurring at the damage‐generated inter‐phase interfaces. Closed and open systems are discussed. In the former case, deformation at constant stress results entirely from a local compensation mechanism between the chemical softening and strain hardening. The classical three stages of creep are interpreted in terms of mechanisms of dissolution and precipitation, as well as the variation in the reaction surface areas involved in the mass exchange. In an open system, the above local mechanism is enhanced by the removal of mass via diffusion of species affecting the mass balance. Such a system is addressed via a boundary value problem as shown in an example. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between rock glacier and contributing area parameters in the Front Range of Colorado

Rock glaciers are an end unit of the coarse debris system that links frost weathering and rockfall to debris transport in mountainous environments. By examining topographic and climatic controls on creep, a better understanding of rock glacier formation and evolution could be obtained. A series of statistical tests were run comparing contributing area parameters (width, length, area, slope, headwall height, etc.) and rock glacier variables (width, length, area, thickness, slope, creep and temperature) in the Front Range of Colorado. Results showed that rock glacier width had the strongest correlation with contributing area width due to an abundance of lobate rock glaciers (r = 0.78). Rock glacier area and contributing area size were also related (r = 0.74), but are also a function of talus production factors. Mean surface velocity appears to be better correlated with thickness (r = 0.58) and length (r = 0.62), rather than slope (r = 0.33). Mean annual air temperature had a stronger exponential relationship with maximum velocities (r = 0.76) compared to mean annual velocity (r = 0.60). Front Range rock glacier velocities tend to decrease with warming, suggesting that the volume of ice and debris, rates of shear in plastic layers, or melt water may have a greater influence on deformation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discrete modelling of time‐dependent rockfill behaviour

This modelling study deals with the time‐dependent behaviour of rockfill media, which is of particular interest during the life of rockfill dams. Breakage of rock blocks and crack propagation are the main processes responsible for rockfill creep and collapse. The modelling procedure presented here is performed on two scales: on the rock block scale, where the grain is taken to be an assembly of rigid particles initially endowed with cohesive bonds, and on the rockfill scale, which is taken to involve a set of breakable grains interacting via contact and friction processes. The grain breakage process is described in term of a thermodynamically consistent damage interface model, where the damage is a gradual delayed process. This model was implemented in a non‐smooth contact dynamics code. The effects of the main parameters involved were analysed by performing numerical studies. The ability of the model to predict the creep behaviour of rockfill media is confirmed by presenting several simulations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

海底观测网技术进展与发展趋势

海底观测网络由于其特有的能源供给与信息传输优势,受到了广泛关注与重视。文中简要回顾了国内外海底观测网技术的发展现状,并就海底观测网技术发展趋势进行了探讨。     

海洋能源获取、传输与管理综述

海洋能源获取、传输与管理是实现海洋透明化的关键技术。以能源获取的方式进行分类调研,分析探讨国内外海洋能源的获取、传输与能源管理方法,以及各个方式的优缺点,并对能源获取、传输与管理进行核心技术分解,对比我国研究现状得出各个技术与国外现有差距,预测我国在该技术领域的未来发展趋势。     

Intellectual property rights and the transfer of climate change technologies: issues,challenges, and way forward

The role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the development and transfer of climate change technologies has been a contentious issue in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Irreconcilable differences seem to oppose those who believe IPRs are an inherent barrier to the transfer of climate change technologies and those who argue they are an essential incentive to innovation. After providing an overview of the polarized debate on this issue, this article reviews the existing literature and empirical evidence and looks into some practical initiatives and recent developments. Finally, it seeks to identify a way forward that could help overcome the current stalemate in international deliberations by suggesting a number of parameters to structure the discussion on this complex issue.     

中原油田高压注水诱发的油水井套管损坏原因分析

中原油田高压注水开发35年,套管损坏严重,严重的影响了油田的开发效果。据研究,油田水井套管损坏主要有错断、变形及破漏等三类,平面上主要分布在断层发育区、高地层水矿化度区、泥岩层和盐膏层发育区,剖面上主要分布在盐膏层段和主力生产井段。提出断层活动、地应力非均质演化、盐岩蠕变、油田开发历程和开采方式及油气流场、化学场演化是中原油田套损的主要控制因素,建立油田油藏油井多参数动态模式,优选与油藏模式匹配的开采方式及增产措施,改造套管动力学环境和化学环境将能防治套损地质灾害的发生。     

我国盐湖钾盐资源现状及提钾工艺技术进展

中国是一个农业大国, 钾肥缺口很大。中国又是一个多盐湖的国家, 盐湖中蕴藏着丰富的钾盐资源, 有望解决中国的缺钾问题。中国已经建立了青海察尔汗和新疆罗布泊两个钾肥生产基地, 但还是远远满足不了国内钾肥需求, 70%需要依赖进口。因此, 有必要继续加强钾盐开发研究, 建立新的钾肥生产基地。通过长期攻关, 我国氯化物型和硫酸盐型盐湖形成了比较成熟的提钾工艺路线, 但是, 碳酸盐型盐湖提钾研究刚刚起步。本文对青海察尔汗盐湖和新疆罗布泊盐湖两大中国钾肥生产基地的资源及生产工艺进行了分析研究, 其成功的开发经验可用来指导我国同类型其他盐湖钾资源的开发; 探讨了开发我国碳酸盐型盐湖钾盐的可行之路, 碳酸盐型盐湖通过技术创新, 可以在盐湖现场获得钾肥产品; 指出我国不同水化学类型的盐湖应采取不同的资源利用工艺路线。     

Consolidation and creep behaviors of two typical marine clays in China

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the deformation characteristics of two typical marine clays obtained from Dalian and Shanghai, respectively, in China. Three kinds of laboratory tests, i.e. conventional oedometer tests, one-dimensional and triaxial creep tests were carried out. The results obtained from consolidation tests demonstrate linear v e ？ log？ relationships for Shanghai clay at normally consolidated state, while partly or even global non-linearrelationships for Dalian clay. The compression index c C for both clays follows the correlation of Cc=0.009（WL-10）where WL is the liquid limit of soil. The relationship between v log Kv （ Kv is the hydraulic conductivity of soil） and voidratio e is generally linear and the hydraulic conductivity change index kv C can be described by their initial void ratio forboth clays. The secondary compressibility of Dalian clay lies in medium to high range and is higher than that of Shanghaiclay which lies in the range of low to medium. Furthermore, based on drained triaxial creep tests, the stress-strain-timerelationships following Mesri＇s creep equation have been developed for Dalian and Shanghai clays which can predict thelong-term deformation of both clays reasonably well.