Analytical solution to 1D coupled water infiltration and deformation in unsaturated soils

An analytical solution to 1D coupled water infiltration and deformation is derived using a Fourier integral transform. Exponential functional forms are used to represent the hydraulic conductivity–pore‐water pressure relationship and the soil‐water characteristic curve. Fredlund's incremental‐linear constitutive model for unsaturated soils is adopted. The analytical solution considers arbitrary initial pore‐water pressure distributions and flux and pressure boundary conditions. The corresponding analytical solutions to coupled steady‐state problems are also obtained. The analytical solutions demonstrate that the coupling of seepage and deformation plays an important role in water infiltration in unsaturated soils. In the early stages of infiltration, the difference between uncoupled and coupled conditions becomes marked over time, and in late stages, the difference caused by the coupling effects diminishes toward the steady state. The difference between the uncoupled and coupled conditions increases with decreasing desaturation coefficient (α). Pore‐water pressure or deformation changes caused by the coupling effects are mainly controlled by the degree of soil volume change due to a change in soil suction (H). The smaller the absolute value of H, the greater the effect of coupling on the infiltration and deformation. The ratio of rainfall intensity to saturated permeability (q/k_s) also has a strong influence on the coupled seepage and deformation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

区段控制浓度的一种定量化模型研究

该文就总量控制工作进行理论探讨,提出控制平均浓度的排污等效模型,同时对计算区段控制浓度的确定进行定量化模型研究。该模型简便、易操作、实用性强,具有一定的理论意义和实用价值。     

非饱和黄土地基降雨入渗离心模型试验及多物理量联合监测

对非饱和土降雨入渗过程及其致灾机制的深入认识有赖于室内外试验及多物理量联合监测。基于离心机超重力环境下土体响应监测技术,开展了非饱和黄土地基降雨入渗离心模型试验,测试研究了超重力环境对新研制的微型TDR探针及张力计测量的影响规律,并利用TDR、张力计及弯曲元对降雨入渗过程中土体响应进行多物理量联合监测。研究结果表明:在不同离心加速度下微型TDR探针与给定含水率土体实测原始波形重合,说明超重力环境对TDR测试没有影响,含水率的测试误差在2%以内。在离心机加速过程中,张力计所测吸力下降约2.0~2.9 kPa,当离心加速度稳定在40g时,所测吸力在10min内上升并接近常重力下土体初始吸力。在降雨入渗过程中,埋设在同一深度的TDR探针、张力计和弯曲元对湿润锋响应的时间点基本一致,降雨入渗导致土体含水率增加,基质吸力降低,剪切波速降低。这些多物理量监测数据有助于建立非饱和土含水率-吸力-剪切模量之间的关系。     

Prediction Model of Coal Reservoir Pressure and its Implication for the Law of Coal Reservoir Depressurization

The main methods of coalbed methane(CBM) development are drainage and depressurization, and a precise prediction of coal reservoir pressure is thus crucial for the evaluation of reservoir potentials and the formulation of reasonable development plans. This work established a new reservoir pressure prediction model based on the material balance equation(MBE) of coal reservoir, which considers the self-regulating effects of coal reservoirs and the dynamic change of equivalent drainage area(EDA). According to the proposed model, the reservoir pressure can be predicted based on reservoir condition data and the actual production data of a single well. Compared with traditional reservoir pressure prediction models which regard EDA as a fixed value, the proposed model can better predict the average pressure of reservoirs. Moreover, orthogonal experiments were designed to evaluate the sensitivity of reservoir parameters on the reservoir pressure prediction results of this proposed model. The results show that the saturation of irreducible water is the most sensitive parameter, followed by Langmuir volume and reservoir porosity, and Langmuir pressure is the least sensitive parameter. In addition, the pressure drop of reservoirs is negatively correlated with the saturation of irreducible water and the Langmuir volume, while it is positively correlated with porosity. This work analyzed the reservoir pressure drop characteristics of the CBM wells in the Shizhuangnan Block of the Qinshui Basin, and the results show that the CBM reservoir depressurization can be divided into three types, i.e., rapidly drop type, medium-term stability type, and slowly drop type. The drainage features of wells were reasonably interpreted based on the comprehensive analysis of the reservoir depressurization type; the latter was coupled to the corresponding permeability dynamic change characteristics, eventually proving the applicability of the proposed model.     

浅谈海绵城市建设与城市水文地质勘查工作

海绵城市是构建"尊重自然、顺序自然、保护自然"建设生态城市的新型理念。目的是实现低影响开发雨水控制与利用,雨水资源化管理,减轻城市内涝,达到水生态与城市发展平衡的可持续发展建设模式。本文主要提出了城市水文地质勘查在城市海绵建设中的必要性,及城市水文地质勘查如何开展和服务于海绵城市建设。     

厚碳酸盐覆盖区RVSP三维地震勘探应用效果分析

该文以中国南方一厚碳酸盐岩覆盖区的RVSP三维地震勘探实例,对RVSP三维地震勘探观测系统和数据采集参数的确定、地面等效处理和波场分离等关键处理技术及地质效果进行了阐述和分析,说明了RVSP在克服表浅层复杂地质条件及环境条件对资料的影响及提高地震资料的分辨率有其特定的优势,同时也提出了RVSP三维地震在采集和处理过程中的难点。     

Intercomparison of measurements of bulk snow density and water equivalent of snow cover with snow core samplers: Instrumental bias and variability induced by observers

Manually collected snow data are often considered as ground truth for many applications such as climatological or hydrological studies. However, there are many sources of uncertainty that are not quantified in detail. For the determination of water equivalent of snow cover (SWE), different snow core samplers and scales are used, but they are all based on the same measurement principle. We conducted two field campaigns with 9 samplers commonly used in observational measurements and research in Europe and northern America to better quantify uncertainties when measuring depth, density and SWE with core samplers. During the first campaign, as a first approach to distinguish snow variability measured at the plot and at the point scale, repeated measurements were taken along two 20 m long snow pits. The results revealed a much higher variability of SWE at the plot scale (resulting from both natural variability and instrumental bias) compared to repeated measurements at the same spot (resulting mostly from error induced by observers or very small scale variability of snow depth). The exceptionally homogeneous snowpack found in the second campaign permitted to almost neglect the natural variability of the snowpack properties and focus on the separation between instrumental bias and error induced by observers. Reported uncertainties refer to a shallow, homogeneous tundra-taiga snowpack less than 1 m deep (loose, mostly recrystallised snow and no wind impact). Under such measurement conditions, the uncertainty in bulk snow density estimation is about 5% for an individual instrument and is close to 10% among different instruments. Results confirmed that instrumental bias exceeded both the natural variability and the error induced by observers, even in the case when observers were not familiar with a given snow core sampler.     

Effects of rainfall intensity and compaction on water transport from opencast coal mine soils: An experimental study

The use of heavy machinery during opencast coal mining can result in soil compaction. Severe soil compaction has a negative impact on the transport of water and gas in the soil. In addition, rainfall intensity has traditionally been related to soil surface sealing affecting water transport. To assess the effects of rainfall intensity and compaction on water infiltration and surface runoff in an opencast coal mining area, the disturbed soils from the Antaibao opencast mine in Shanxi Province, China, were collected. Four soil columns with different bulk densities (i.e., 1.4 g cm^-3, 1.5 g cm^-3, 1.6 g cm^-3, and 1.7 g cm^-3) were designed, and each column received water five times at rainfall intensities of 23.12, 28.91, 38.54, 57.81, and 115.62 mm hr^-1. The total volume of runoff, the time to start runoff, and the volumetric water contents at the depths of 5 cm, 15 cm, 25 cm, 35 cm, 45 cm, 55 cm, and 65 cm were measured. Under the same soil bulk density, high rainfall intensity reduced infiltration, increased surface runoff, and decreased the magnitude of change in the volumetric water contents at different depths. Under the same rainfall intensity, the soil column with a high bulk density showed relatively low water infiltration. Treatments 3 (1.6 g cm^-3) and 4 (1.7 g cm^-3) had very small changes in volumetric water contents of the profiles even under a lower rainfall intensity. Severe soil compaction was highly prone to surface runoff after rainfall. Engineering and revegetation measures are available to improve compacted soil quality in dumps. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the management of land reclamation in opencast coal mine areas.     

Effects of antecedent moisture and macroporosity on infiltration and water flow in frozen soil

Infiltration into frozen soil plays an important role in soil freeze–thaw and snowmelt-driven hydrological processes. To better understand the complex thermal energy and water transport mechanisms involved, the influence of antecedent moisture content and macroporosity on infiltration into frozen soil was investigated. Ponded infiltration experiments on frozen macroporous and non-macroporous soil columns revealed that dry macroporous soil produced infiltration rates reaching 10³ to 10⁴ mm day⁻¹, two to three orders of magnitude larger than dry non-macroporous soil. Results suggest that rapid infiltration and drainage were a result of preferential flow through initially air-filled macropores. Using recorded flow rates and measured macropore characteristics, calculations indicated that a combination of both saturated flow and unsaturated film flow likely occurred within macropores. Under wet conditions, regardless of the presence of macropores, infiltration was restricted by the slow thawing rate of pore ice, producing infiltration rates of 2.8 to 5.0 mm day⁻¹. Reduced preferential flow under wet conditions was attributed to a combination of soil swelling, due to smectite-rich clay (that reduced macropore volume), and pore ice blockage within macropores. In comparison, dry soil column experiments demonstrated that macropores provided conduits for water and thermal energy to bypass the frozen matrix during infiltration, reducing thaw rates compared with non-macroporous soils. Overall, results showed the dominant control of antecedent moisture content on the initiation, timing, and magnitude of infiltration and flow in frozen macroporous soils, as well as the important role of macropore connectivity. The study provides an important data set that can aid the development of hydrological models that consider the interacting effects of soil freeze–thaw and preferential flow on snowmelt partitioning in cold regions.     

The effect of storm movement on infiltration,runoff and soil erosion in a semi-arid catchment

Rainfall characteristics are key factors influencing infiltration and runoff generation in catchment hydrology, particularly for arid and semiarid catchments. Although the effect of storm movement on rainfall-runoff processes has been evaluated and emphasized since the 1960s, the effect on the infiltration process has barely been considered. In this study, a physically based distributed hydrological model (InHM) was applied to a typical semi-arid catchment (Shejiagou, 4.26 km²) located in the Loess Plateau, China, to investigate the effect of storm movement on infiltration, runoff and soil erosion at the catchment scale. Simulations of 84 scenarios of storm movement were conducted, including storms moving across the catchment in both the upstream and downstream directions along the main channel, while in each direction considering four storm moving speeds, three rainfall depths and two storm ranges. The simulation results showed that, on both the hillslopes facing downstream (facing south) and in the main channel, the duration of the overland flow process under the upstream-moving storms was longer than that under the downstream-moving storms. Thus, the duration and volume of infiltration under upstream-moving storms were larger in these areas. For the Shejiagou catchment, as there are more hillslopes facing downstream, more infiltration occurred under the upstream-moving storms than the downstream-moving storms. Therefore, downstream-moving storms generated up to 69% larger total runoff and up to 351% more soil loss in the catchment than upstream-moving storms. The difference in infiltration between the storms moving upstream and downstream decreased as the storm moving speed increased. The relative difference in total runoff and sediment yield between the storms moving upstream and downstream decreased with increasing rainfall depth and storm speed. The results of this study revealed that the infiltration differences under moving storms largely influenced the total runoff and sediment yield at the catchment scale, which is of importance in runoff prediction and flood management. The infiltration differences may be a potential factor leading to different groundwater, vegetation cover and ecology conditions for the different sides of the hillslopes.