The effect of long-term aerial exposure on intertidal mudflat erodibility

Intertidal zones by definition are exposed to air at low tide, and the exposure duration can be weeks (e.g. during neap tides) depending on water level and bed elevation. Here we investigated the effect of varying exposure duration (6 h to 10 days) on intertidal mudflat erosion (measured using the EROMES device), where the effects of water content and biofilm biomass (using chlorophyll-a content as a proxy, Chl-a μg g⁻¹) were taken into account. Sediments were collected between spring and summer (in October 2018, January 2019 and February 2019) from an intertidal site in the Firth of Thames, New Zealand. Longer exposure duration resulted in more stable sediments [higher erosion threshold (Ƭ_cr, N m⁻²) and lower erosion rate (ER, g m⁻² s⁻¹)]. After 10 days, exposure increased Ƭ_cr by 1.7 to 4.4 times and decreased ER by 11.6 to 21.5 times compared with 6 h of exposure. Chl-a and water content changed with exposure duration and were significantly correlated with changes in Ƭ_cr and ER. The stability of sediments after two re-submersion periods following exposure was also examined and showed that the stabilizing effect of exposure persisted even though water content had increased to non-exposure levels. Re-submersion was associated with an increase in Chl-a content, which likely counteracted the destabilizing influence of increased water content. A site-specific model, which included the interplay between evaporation and biofilm biomass, was developed to predict water content as a function of exposure duration. The modelled water content (W_Mod.) explained 98% of the observed variation in water content (W_Obs.). These results highlight how the exposure period can cause subtle changes to erosion regimes of sediments. An understanding of these effects (e.g. in sediment transport modelling) is critical to predicting the resilience of intertidal zones into the future, when sea-level rise is believed to exacerbate erosion in low-lying areas. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancement of Seismic Data Processing and Interpretation of Fracture Zones on the Upper Part of Granitic Basement in Cuu Long Basin,Vietnam

The fractured granite basement is the primary oil and gas reservoir in the Cuu Long Basin, Vietnam. Due to the complexity of this nonlayered unconventional target, combined with complicated fault and fracture systems, the seismic data quality near and within the basement section is very low. For this reason, it is important to apply improved seismic data processing workflows, filtering and migration techniques, as wells as attribute processing methods to enhance the imaging quality.Our studies show that applying different types of filters, including the f-k, Radon transform and Tau-P, improves signal to noise ratio, removing multiples, revealing basement’s top and its related fractured and fault zones. In addition, the application of multi-arrival-solution migration algorithms, such as Kirchhoff Migration and Controlled Beam Migration, provides improved imaging for identifying basement top and faults and fractures within the basement. Furthermore, the application of seismic attributes such as curvature, apparent dip, or energy gradient, is important in locating faults and fractures, whereas mapping of intensity and orientation of such structures assists the delineation of “sweet spots” and assists the planning of exploration.     

Environmental health impacts of mobility and transport in Hai Phong, Vietnam

Traffic is an essential part of modern society and mobility is part of its socio-economic setting. However, signs of counter productivity arise as the current mobility patterns substantially affect our health, including the consequences from traffic accidents, air pollution—which causes even more victims than traffic accidents—and traffic-noise. The use of private motorised vehicles also contributes to sedentarism, climate change and psychological effects. This paper reviews these mobility related health effects and applies them to the situation in Hai Phong, a Vietnamese port-city in fast development and facing growing mobility patterns. In his Master Plan the city developed a view on its development together with the transportation infrastructure up to 2020. Together with the fast changing mobility patterns, such as a modal change from bicycles to motorcycles and cars, this lead to an increase in motorized vehicles and non-negligible environmental health risks. Applying the methodology of a Health Impact Assessment as used in previous studies the current health burden is estimated, focussing on particulate matter (PM) and noise. For PM₁₀ 1287 deaths per year were calculated for the current situation, where the estimated number of deaths by 2020 doubled up to 2741. Hospital admissions due to PM₁₀ raised from 44,954 now to 51,467 in 2020 and for PM_2.5 the restricted-activity days were calculated, accounting for 852,352 per year. For noise only calculations for the current state (2007) were performed. The total estimated DALYs due to noise was 4758.     

Geogene Versus Anthropogene Origin of Trace Metals in Sediments in Cua Luc Estuary and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

In the present study, the geochemistry of 49 surficial-bed and 101 core sediment samples is investigated to clarify the origin of trace metals in the Cua Luc Estuary and Ha Long Bay, which is a famous World Natural Heritage Site in Vietnam. Moreover, the potential mobility of trace metals is also assessed and their relationship with reference elements (Al, Fe, and Ca) and organic matter is established in order to make recommendations for sediment management and monitor future pollution. Generally, trace metals display higher concentrations in Ha Long Bay compared to the Cua Luc Estuary. However, this is controlled by the distribution of the fine (clay?+?silt) fraction, and hence the concentrations of Al, Fe, Ca, and organic matter (OM). The comparison of concentrations of trace metals (normalized towards Al) between the surficial sediments and the subsurface core sediments based on ¹³⁷Cs datings indicates that almost all surficial-sediment data fall inside or deviate slightly from the 95 % prediction interval of a background regression line. In addition, as determined by a Community Bureau of Reference three-step extraction, trace metals mainly dominate in the residual fraction (assumed to relate to crystal lattice of primary and secondary minerals), and this fraction does not change much in recent sediment layers. Therefore, trace metals are supposed to be derived from natural bio/geochemical processes and are characterized by a low potential mobility. Consequently, the established linear regression relationships of trace metal vs. Al or multiple regression relationships of trace metal vs. multi-elements (Al, Fe, Ca, and OM) are useful for the prediction of background levels of trace metals in sediments in future pollution monitoring and assessment programs.     

Verification of a VOF-based two-phase flow model for wave breaking and wave–structure interactions

The objective of the present study is to develop a volume of fluid (VOF)-based two-phase flow model and to discuss the applicability of the model to the simulation of wave–structure interactions. First, an overview of the development of VOF-type models for applications in the field of coastal engineering is presented. The numerical VOF-based two-phase flow model has been developed and applied to the simulations of wave interactions with a submerged breakwater as well as of wave breaking on a slope. Numerical results are then compared with laboratory experimental data in order to verify the applicability of the numerical model to the simulations of complex interactions of waves and permeable coastal structures, including the effects of wave breaking. It is concluded that the two-phase flow model with the aid of the advanced VOF technique can provide with acceptably accurate numerical results on the route to practical purposes.     

Geochemistry,zircon U–PB ages and HF isotopes of the Muong Luan granitoid pluton,Northwest Vietnam and its petrogenetic significance

The Indosinian Orogeny plays a significant role in tectonic background and magmatic evolution in Indochina and surrounding regions. Being a part product of the Indosinian magmatism in northwest Vietnam during late Permian–middle Triassic period, Muong Luan granitoid pluton dominantly consists of granodiorite, less diorite and granite. This pluton is located in the Song Ma suture and assigned to the Dien Bien complex. Geochemically, the Muong Luan granitoid rocks are characterized by a wide range of SiO₂ contents (59.9–75.1 wt%) and high K₂O contents. They display typical features of I‐type granites. The presence of hornblende and no muscovite and cordierite in the rocks further supports for I‐type character of granitoids. The emplacement age of the Muong Luan pluton obtained by LA–ICP–MS U–Pb zircon is at 242–235 Ma, corresponding to Indosinian time. Zircon ε_Hf values of –5.6 to –10.4, in combination with moderate Mg values of 34–45 suggested that the Muong Luan granitoid was derived from partial melting of mafic crustal source rocks, which are probably Paleoproterozoic in age as revealed by Hf model ages (T_DM2 = 1624–1923 Ma).     

Subduction initiation of Indochina and South China blocks: insight from the forearc ophiolitic peridotites of the Song Ma Suture Zone in Vietnam

The Song Ma region, which is located in the northwestern Vietnam represents the zone of amalgamation between Indochina and South China blocks. Numerous scattered ultramafic rocks occur in this region in association with Early to Middle Palaeozoic greenschists and paragneisses, and all these rocks were subjected to hydrous metamorphism and deformation. Here, we present new field data, mineral chemistry and geochemistry from a suite of hydrated peridotites within the Song Ma region and discuss the tectonic significances of the region. We also combine the available data within the Song Ma region and Indochina–South China blocks to discuss the tectonic evolution of the subduction zone. Based on the results, we suggest that the peridotites from the Song Ma are mantle residues that suffered a high degree of partial melting in a forearc tectonic setting. The present data together with the available data within the Song Ma region and the Indochina and South China blocks clearly represent a southward directed Middle Palaeozoic subduction system. The Middle Palaeozoic subduction and accretion events mark the evolutionary history along an active convergent margin between the Indochina and South China blocks, possibly related to the amalgamation of the Pangaea supercontinent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Speciation and Mobility of Selected Trace Metals (As, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) in Sediment with Depth in Cam River-Mouth, Haiphong, Vietnam

The speciation and mobility of some selected trace metals (As, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) in sediments with depth was investigated in the Cam River-mouth (Vietnam) by collecting sediment cores and analysing porewater and sediment composition, complemented with single (ammonium-EDTA) and sequential (BCR 3-step) extractions and mineralogical analysis (XRD). All trace metals show overall decreasing trends with depth in porewater as a result of anthropogenic input in upper sediment layers. High porewater concentrations of As, Mn and Pb in oxic and suboxic sediment layers may result in groundwater pollution. Sediment-bound Pb and Mn dominate in the reducible and the acid-soluble fraction, respectively, while Cu and Zn distribute rather evenly between four extracted fractions. The porewater metal speciation, as predicted by a geochemical model Visual MINTEQ version 3.0, indicates that the toxicity of Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn (presented by the proportions of free metal ions) decreases with depth, while the toxicity of As increases when As(III) becomes more abundant. The dissolved concentrations of trace metals are not only controlled by the precipitation/dissolution of discrete hydroxide/oxide, carbonate and phosphate minerals, but also by sorption processes on major sorbents (i.e. As on goethite, and Mn and Zn on calcite and dolomite). Sulphide minerals do not show any control even in the anoxic zone most likely because of the low concentration of sulphur.     

Simulation of mixed-mode fracture using SPH particles with an embedded fracture process zone

This paper focuses on the modelling of mixed-mode fracture using the conventional smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method and a mixed-mode cohesive fracture law embedded in the particles. The combination of conventional SPH and a mixed-mode cohesive model allows capturing fracture and separation under various loading conditions efficiently. The key advantage of this framework is its capability to represent complex fracture geometries by a set of cracked SPH particles, each of which can possess its own mixed-mode cohesive fracture with arbitrary orientations. Therefore, this can naturally capture complex fracture patterns without any predefined fracture topologies. Because a characteristic length scale related to the size of the fracture process zone is incorporated in the constitutive formulation, the proposed approach is independent from the spatial discretisation of the computational domain (or mesh independent). Furthermore, the anisotropic fracture responses of materials can be naturally captured thanks to the orientation of the fracture process zone embedded at the particle level. The performance of the proposed approach demonstrates its potentials in modelling mixed-mode fracture of rocks and similar quasi-brittle materials.     

Pre-Cenozoic tectonic attribute and setting of the Song Da zone,VietnamEI北大核心CSCD

Rock association and regional unconformity are identified based on field survey and mapping for the stratigraphy, tectonics, metamorphic rock and igneous rocks in the Song Da zone, the northwestern Vietnam. Pre-Cenozoic in the Song Da zone is divided into three structural layers: (1) the Presinian crystalline basement, (2) the Cambrian-lower part of Upper Triassic, and (3) the upper part of Upper Triassic-Cretaceous. The Pre-Cenozoic structural successions of the Song Da zone show similar features with those of the Yangtze-South China plate: (1) In the Presinian, both of them have TTG complex and Khondalite series of similar ages and experienced similar tectonic evolution; (2) In the Cambrian-early Upper Triassic, the phosphorite and thick-layered limestone are comparable, and the Permian-Triassic basalt in the Song Da zone has genetic mechanism similar to that of the Emeishan basalt; (3) In the late Upper Triassic-Cretaceous, the volcanic-sedimentary faulted basins and thick continental red beds are comparable to those in East China. It can be concluded that the Song Da zone should have been part of the southwestern Yangtze-South China plate, and the boundary between the Yangtze-South China plate and Indochina plate is the Song Ma suture zone which contains ophiolite remnants. Tectonic settings of different structural layers indicate that the Song Da Zone experienced geological events such as the Columbia and Rodinia Supercontinent, sedimentation of the stable platform cover, closure of the Paleo-Tethys, and NW subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate to the Eurasian plate. The Pre-Cenozoic basement of the Yinggehai Basin is the seaward extension of the Song Da zone, which shows similar tectonic features.