Detection of a dry-frozen boundary inside Martian regolith

The present work investigates the time oscillations of the temperature at several depths of a Martian soil analogue made of two layers of different physical properties. The maximum temperature-time oscillation inside the Martian soil analogue, DT, and its derivative with depth, d(DT)/dz or DDT, can be analysed to understand the presence of a boundary between dry and frozen soil. The maximum temperature-time oscillation, DT, reduces by about one order of magnitude at the boundary between dry and frozen soil if a frozen layer is present. The reduction of DT at the boundary between two dry soils with different porosity is much smaller. DDT decreases by more than one order of magnitude at the boundary between dry and frozen soil if a frozen layer is present. The reduction of DDT at the boundary between two dry soils with different porosity is much smaller.     

Reliability analysis of soil nail internal limit states using default FHWA load and resistance models

Abstract

Reliability analyses of nail pullout, nail-in-tension, and system reliability of internal limit states are presented for both permanent and temporary soil nails that are designed using default Federal Highway Administration nail load and resistance models within traditional deterministic allowable stress design (ASD) framework. The model uncertainty, correlations between soil strength parameters, between model factor, and nominal load term, and between the two internal limit states, and influence of model factor fittings are all addressed in the analyses. This study provides a general idea of the reliability that is implicitly embedded in current ASD-based soil nail internal limit state designs.     

Insights into zooplankton‐cyanobacteria interactions derived from enclosure studies

Few workers have used enclosures specifically to study interactions between zoo‐plankton and cyanobacteria. Differences among studies in enclosure size, nutrient level, plankton abundance and species composition, presence or absence of fish, and length of experiments make generalisations difficult. Zooplankton had no direct effect on the growth of ungrazed cyanobacteria (Anabaena flos‐aquae, Aphanizomenon flos‐aquae, large Microcystis colonies) in short‐term (<5 days) and long‐term (> 1 month) enclosure studies. When large cyanobacteria were abundant, some Daphnia spp. snowed reduced reproduction and development. When large grazers were abundant they suppressed the growth of edible, colonial cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon elenkinii, small Microcystis colonies). By altering the ambient light and nutrient environment, large zooplankton may suppress cyanobacteria; evidence for the importance of grazers in promoting cyanobacterial dominance by removing competing phytoplankton species is equivocal. Zooplankton may suppress nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria through ammonia excretion and may promote a change in dominance from diatoms to cyanobacteria through recycling phosphorus but not silicon.     

Behavior of soil plugs in open‐ended model piles driven into sands

Calibration chamber tests were conducted on open‐ended model piles driven into dried siliceous sands with different soil conditions in order to clarify the effect of soil conditions on load transfer mechanism in the soil plug. The model pile used in the test series was devised so that the bearing capacity of an open‐ended pile could be measured as three components: outside shaft resistance, plug resistance, and tip resistance. Under the assumption that the unit shaft resistance due to pile‐soil plug interaction varies linearly near the pile tip, the plug resistance was estimated. The plug capacity, which was defined as the plug resistance at ultimate condition, is mainly dependent on the ambient lateral pressure and relative density. The length of wedged plug that transfers the load decreases with the decrease of relative density, but it is independent of the ambient pressure and penetration depth. Under several assumptions, the value of earth pressure coefficient in the soil plug can be calculated. It gradually reduces with increase in the longitudinal distance from the pile tip. At the bottom of the soil plug, it tends to decrease with increase in the penetration depth and relative density, and to increase with the increase of ambient pressure. This may be attributed to (1) the decrease of friction angle as a result of increase in the effective vertical stress, (2) the difference in the dilation degree of the soil plug during driving with ambient pressures, and (3) the difference in compaction degree of soil plug during driving with relative densities. Based on the test results, an empirical equation was suggested to compute the earth pressure coefficient to be used in the calculation of plug capacity using one‐dimensional analysis, and it produces proper plug capacities for all soil conditions.     

Generation of continuous surface soil moisture dataset using combined optical and thermal infrared images

Surface soil moisture (SSM) is a critical variable for understanding water and energy flux between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. An easy to apply algorithm for deriving SSM time series that primarily uses temporal parameters derived from simulated and in situ datasets has recently been reported. This algorithm must be assessed for different biophysical and atmospheric conditions by using actual geostationary satellite images. In this study, two currently available coarse‐scale SSM datasets (microwave and reanalysis product) and aggregated in situ SSM measurements were implemented to calibrate the time‐invariable coefficients of the SSM retrieval algorithm for conditions in which conventional observations are rare. These coefficients were subsequently used to obtain SSM time series directly from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) images over the study area of a well‐organized soil moisture network named REMEDHUS in Spain. The results show a high degree of consistency between the estimated and actual SSM time series values when using the three SSM dataset‐calibrated time‐invariable coefficients to retrieve SSM, with coefficients of determination (R²) varying from 0.304 to 0.534 and root mean square errors ranging from 0.020 m³/m³ to 0.029 m³/m³. Further evaluation with different land use types results in acceptable debiased root mean square errors between 0.021 m³/m³ and 0.048 m³/m³ when comparing the estimated MSG pixel‐scale SSM with in situ measurements. These results indicate that the investigated method is practical for deriving time‐invariable coefficients when using publicly accessed coarse‐scale SSM datasets, which is beneficial for generating continuous SSM dataset at the MSG pixel scale.     

Effects of irrigation on geochemical processes in a paddy soil and in ground waters in Camargue (France)

In waterlogged soils, dynamics of water influence the redox conditions and thus the mobility of elements. Irrigation of rice in Camargue (South eastern France) induces yearly dynamics of water. In order to determine the impact of irrigation on the geochemical properties of ground waters, a continuously in situ record of physico-chemical parameters (pH, Eh, temperature and electric conductivity) is performed during 1 year in an irrigated rice field. Seasonal dynamics show large Eh and pH variations. An annual irrigation cycle generates fast precipitations of Ca–Mg carbonates and Fe oxides between 50 and 110 cm depth when the soil is waterlogged. The dissolution of these minerals is initiated during a year without irrigation.     

内蒙古苏尼特左旗巴彦洪格尔地区土壤测量地球化学异常特征及找矿方向

文章在1∶5万土壤地球化学测量成果基础上,对内蒙古苏尼特左旗巴彦洪格尔地区的地球化学参数进行计算和分析,对区内元素分布特征、元素相关性及组合特点、主要综合异常特征进行了研究,结果表明:区内Ag、Pb、Sn、W含量较高,分异性又强,所形成异常规模较大,强度较高,具有较大找矿价值。结合对主要综合异常的分析,划分出古尔班呼都格金、银找矿远景区,苏吉敖包钨、铅、锌找矿远景区,哈尔德勒铅、锌找矿远景区,查干诺尔钼找矿远景区。     

黔西北地区土壤重金属地球化学背景及管理目标值

基于贵州省毕节地区1∶25万土地质量地球化学调查的1 308件深层土壤样品重金属含量数据,研究了土壤重金属含量分布及其地球化学背景特征,与全国土壤比较,黔西北土壤重金属地球化学背景值显著高于全国土壤元素背景值,但是,与我国西南地区土壤元素背景值接近。黔西北地区土壤重金属含量与地质背景关系密切,不同地质单元区土壤重金属含量存在显著差异,石炭系地层发育的土壤呈Pb、Zn地球化学高背景,二叠系中统风化形成的土壤呈Cd、Hg地球化学高背景,黔西北地区不仅存在土法炼锌造成的土壤重金属污染,土壤重金属地球化学高背景也是影响土壤重金属富集的重要因素。统计表明,黔西北地区二叠系中统风化土壤Cd管理目标值高于我国农用地土壤Cd风险管制值(2.0×10^-6),认为在确定黔西北地区土壤重金属管理目标时,应充分考虑不同地质单元区土壤重金属地球化学背景值差异及其生态环境效应的影响。     

无锡马山抽水蓄能电站地面厂房边坡稳定性分析

以无锡马山抽水蓄能电站地面厂房建筑过程中形成的人工边坡为例,在对其工程地质剖面分析并找出可能的滑动模式后,利用极限平衡法和有限元法分析了4个典型地质剖面的稳定性安全系数以及应力应变关系。结果表明,通过对该边坡的极限平衡法得到了2-2剖面的安全系数和通过有限元法得到的计算结果比较接近,且都满足相关规范的要求;坡体的最大位移发生在高程为－20 m和－5.0 m附近,其值为－22 mm;最大主应力位于高程－45.0 m处,值为0.134 MPa;最小主应力位于坡内深处,其值为－6.22 MPa。同时,提出了下一阶段应考虑时间效应,对边坡的变形进行分析。