Assessing the vegetation canopy influences on wind flow using wind tunnel experiments with artificial plants

Wind erosion causes serious problems and considerable threat in most regions of the world. Vegetation on the ground has an important role in controlling wind erosion by covering soil surface and absorbing wind momentum. A set of wind tunnel experiments was performed to quantitatively examine the effect of canopy structure on wind movement. Artificial plastic vegetations with different porosity and canopy shape were introduced as the model canopy. Normalized roughness length (Z ₀/H) and shear velocity ratio (R) were analyzed as a function of roughness density (λ). Experiments showed that Z ₀/H increases and R decreases as λ reaches a maximum value, λ _max, while the values of Z ₀/H and R showed little change with λ value beyond as λ _max.     

Mussel reefs on soft sediments: a severely reduced but important habitat for macroinvertebrates and fishes in New Zealand

Green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) formed extensive reefs on soft sediments in sheltered embayments around northern New Zealand until overfishing and/or increased sediment input caused their virtual disappearance by 1980. To determine the role of mussel reefs as habitat for other animals, we located remnant soft-sediment reefs in five locations and compared the density, biomass, productivity and composition of mobile macroinvertebrate communities, and the density of small fishes associated with mussels, with fauna in the surrounding soft sediments. The mussel reefs had a distinct assemblage of macroinvertebrates, which had 3.5 times the density, 3.4 times the biomass and 3.5 times the productivity of surrounding areas. The density of small fishes was 13.7 times higher than in surrounding areas. These results show that soft-sediment mussel reefs support an abundant and productive fauna, highlighting the probable large loss of productivity associated with the historical decline in mussel habitat and the consequent desirability of restoration efforts.     

Determination of the formation temperature from shut-in logs: Estimation of the radius of thermal influence

As a consequence of drilling and completion operations most wells have reduced permeability near the borehole (skin zone). This may result in a corresponding change of thermal conductivity of formations near the borehole. At the same time the mathematical models, which describe the process of thermal recovery of formations are based on the assumption that the thickness of the radius of heated zone (during circulation of the drilling mud) is significantly larger than the well radius (or skin zone). It is shown below that the radius of the heated zone (radius of investigation or radius of thermal influence) can be approximated by simple formulas. It is shown that for six field bottom-hole temperature surveys the radius of thermal influence (RTI) is too small, and for this reason, the duration of the drilling mud circulation period should increased.     

Influences of diel and tidal cycles on fish assemblage in eelgrass (Zostera marina) bed of southern Korea during autumn

Short-term tidal and diel variations of autumn fish assemblage in a Zostera marina bed were investigated using 3 h interval samplings for 24 h in both spring and neap tide using a small beam trawl. A total of 1 346 fishes belonging to 19 species were collected at spring tide, whereas 1 115 fishes belonging to 17 species were at neap tide. The common fish species were Nuchequula nuchalis, Acanthogobius flavimanus, Takifugu niphobles, Acentrogobius pflaumii, and Pholis nebulosa with the former three species dominating at spring tide, while the latter two species being abundant at neap tide. Diel variation in abundance was significant with higher abundance at night than day, but there were no significant differences between spring and neap tides, and between ebb and flood tides (three-way ANOVAs). Diel variation in the abundance of fishes may be influenced by tidal range and cycle, and day-night differences of food availability and behaviors of fishes indirectly. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) ordination and analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) results revealed significant differences in species compositions both between day and night, and between spring and neap tide. Eelgrass beds are highly productive marine ecosystem, and thus, our results will contribute to conservation of seagrass ecosystem in the study area.     

Estimating heat flow from an unsteady temperature log of submarine borehole BDP-98 (Lake Baikal)

We have applied the method of one temperature log suggested by Kutasov in 1987 to process an unsteady temperature log of the 674 m deep submarine borehole BDP-98-2 (Akademichesky Ridge, Lake Baikal) and found it suitable to reconstruct the primary steady thermal gradient not disturbed by drilling. The steady gradient we derived using a special formalism, with reference to drilling conditions and measured thermal properties of sediments, was 63 mK/m, more than two times the unsteady gradient at different depths. Heat flow calculated with this gradient and a mean thermal conductivity of 1.1 W/(m·K) was 70 mW/m², which is consistent with earlier geothermal data from the same area. Thus, the one-log procedure is a useful tool to predict the original undisturbed thermal gradients and estimate approximate heat flows if a single unsteady temperature log is available.     

锂辉石:巨型花岗伟晶岩锂-铯-钽矿床中关键含锂矿物SCIEI北大核心CSCD

寻找传统化石燃料的替代能源已成为全球性议题。受动力电池消费的拉动,锂资源需求急剧上升,伟晶岩型锂矿勘查热度持续攀升。虽然众多伟晶岩型锂矿地质特征尚不清晰,已有证据表明锂辉石是大多数大型-巨型伟晶岩型锂矿床的主要含锂矿物。与许多近直立的伟晶岩脉群不同,世界范围内大多数太古代伟晶岩矿脉往往呈近水平或缓倾斜在角闪岩相围岩中产出,它们往往具有复杂的三维形态并发育明显的矿物和地球化学分带。这些太古代伟晶岩脉通常形成于挤压或压剪构造体制下同变质环境中,成岩期最小主应力(σ;)近竖直。因此,伟晶岩常常侵位于近水平的构造局部引张区而形成复杂的几何学形态。压性的构造环境为富锂熔体多次脉动式注入和富含挥发分熔体垂向结晶分异提供了充足的时间;锂辉石在中高温压条件下结晶成为缓倾富锂带中最为常见的含锂矿物。     

Cylindrical probe with a variable heat flow rate: A new method for the determination of formation thermal conductivity

The thermal conductivity of a geological formation is one of the important petrophysical parameters which are preferable to study in situ in geophysical well logs. A new technique for the determination of formation thermal conductivity has been developed. We assumed that formation dry density, porosity, and pore fluids saturations could be determined from core samples or cuttings. In this case the specific heat and density of a formation can be quantitatively estimated. It is also assumed that the instantaneous heat flow rate and time data are available for a cylindrical probe with a variable heat flow rate placed in a wellbore. A semi-theoretical equation describing the temperature of the probe’s wall is used to determine in situ the formation conductivity as a function of the temperature increase. The formation thermal diffusivity is also calculated. A field example is presented.