Modelling of deformation response and chemo‐mechanical coupling in chalk

A constitutive relation is derived for describing the mechanical response of chalk. The approach is based on a phenomenological framework which employs chemo‐plasticity. The properties of the material are assumed to be affected by the physico‐chemical processes that occur through the interaction between the skeleton and the pore fluid. The underlying mechanism is discussed by invoking a micromechanical analysis. The performance of the framework is illustrated by examining the evolution of mechanical characteristics in the presence of different pore fluids. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upwelling and river runoff as sources of dissolved nitrous oxide to the Alsea estuary,Oregon

Surface waters of Alsea Bay, an unpolluted estuary on the Oregon coast, were analysed for nitrous oxide, nitrate and nitrite on a weekly or biweekly basis during the summer of 1979. The estuary was found to be a variable source of N₂O to the atmosphere. Large and rapid increases in the concentrations of N₂O, NO₃^?, and NO₂^? occurred at the beginning of the sampling period and are attributed to the influx of nutrient-rich upwelling water into the estuary with the tide. The subsequent decline in concentrations of nitrate, nitrite and nitrous oxide over the remainder of the summer is attributed to a decrease in upwelling intensity, a decline in nitrification rates and to assimilatory nitrate reduction. Measurements of nitrous oxide at six stations along the Alsea River were also made in September and October before and after the onset of the rainy season. Samples taken after flood conditions were established were systematically 50% higher than pre-flood samples. The data suggest that soil runoff results in elevated concentrations of N₂O in rivers.     

A transdisciplinary analysis of water problems in the mountainous karst areas of Morocco

Water management and engineering in the karstic High Atlas of Morocco are difficult tasks under the prevailing geological, hydrogeological, geomorphological, vegetational and climatic conditions. It is important to be able to understand and predict the characteristics and availability of water for future water planning in the region under changing climatic and agricultural conditions. An interdisciplinary analysis of problems and adequate hydrological modelling tools developed by geologists, hydrologists and biologists are necessary. The karst areas of the High Atlas Mountains are characterised by impermeable triassic basalt underlying substantial subsurface reservoirs with high potential discharge rates. The karst groundwater aquifers are extensive but largely unknown in dimension, probably with a hierarchical network of groundwater flow paths. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the surface water is directly lost to groundwater. Steep landslide- and debris flow prone slopes exist next to coarse-grained, highly porous river beds. Infrequent, high intensity rainfall or snowmelt causes a particularly high flood risk to these karst areas. In addition, agriculture and land use changes have degraded the karst areas. The most important driving forces for degradation include permanent overgrazing even during droughts and the use of firewood by a continually growing population. Large scale degradation of vegetation has occurred in the oro-mediterranean (mountainous Mediterranean) zone, between 2600 and 3400 m which coincides with the most important zone for karstic groundwater creation. The combination of high amounts of groundwater flow and rapid surface flow due to sparse vegetation has increased the problems of flood flow.     

Influence of Structural Non-Stationarity of Surface Roughness on Morphological Characterization and Mechanical Deformation of Rock Joints

Summary Structural non-stationarity of surface roughness affects accurate morphological characterization as well as mechanical behaviour of rock joints at the laboratory scale using samples with a size below the stationarity threshold. In this paper, the effect of structural non-stationarity of surface roughness is investigated by studying the scale dependence of surface roughness and mechanical behaviour of rock joints. The results show that the structural non-stationarity mainly affects the accurate characterization of the surface roughness of the fracture samples. It also controls the amount and location of the contact areas during shear tests, which in turn affects the mechanical properties and asperity degradation of the samples. It is concluded that for accurate determination of the morphological and mechanical properties of rock joints at laboratory and field scales, samples with size equal to or larger than the stationarity threshold are required. Author’s address: Nader Fardin, Rock Mechanics Group, Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box: 11365/4563, Tehran, Iran     

Microbial Diversity in Nankai Trough Sediments at a Depth of 3,843 m

Dense populations of bivalves, primarily Calyptogena sp., were observed at cold seeps of the Nankai Trough. Bacterial input to the sediment was estimated through determination of phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFA) and DNA profiles. Results indicated a bacterial biomass of 10⁹ cells (g dry wt)^-1 while individual fatty acid profiles revealed a predominance of monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly 18:1 isomers. The presence of these fatty acids can be interpreted to reflect a response to low temperature and a predominance of psychrophilic bacteria. DNA fragments encoding bacterial ribosomal RNA small-subunit sequences (16S rDNA) were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction method using DNA extracted directly from the sediment samples. From the sequencing results, at least 19 kinds of bacterial 16S rDNAs related to mostly the Proteobacteria and a few gram-positive bacteria were identified. These results suggest that the bacterial community in the Nankai Trough sediments consists of mainly bacteria belonging to the Proteobacteria , , and subdivisions. Bacteria belonging to the and subdivisions, which are known to include epibiont and sulfate reducing bacteria, respectively, were mostly detected in the sediment obtained from inside the area of the Calyptogena community, and the -Proteobacteria may function to supply reduced sulfur to bacterial endosymbionts of Calyptogena.     

Effect of emersion and immersion on the porewater nutrient dynamics of an intertidal sandflat in Tokyo Bay

Porewater nutrient dynamics during emersion and immersion were investigated during different seasons in a eutrophic intertidal sandflat of Tokyo Bay, Japan, to elucidate the role of emersion and immersion in solute transport and microbial processes. The water content in the surface sediment did not change significantly following emersion, suggesting that advective solute transport caused by water table fluctuation was negligible. The rate of change in nitrate concentration in the top 10 mm of sediments ranged from −6.6 to 4.8 μmol N l⁻¹ bulk sed. h⁻¹ during the whole period of emersion. Steep nutrient concentration gradients in the surface sediment generated diffusive flux of nutrients directed downwards into deeper sediments, which greatly contributed to the observed rates of change in porewater nutrient concentration for several cases. Microbial nitrate reduction within the subsurface sediment appeared to be strongly supported by the downward diffusive flux of nitrate from the surface sediment. The stimulation of estimated nitrate production rate in the subsurface layer in proportion to the emersion time indicates that oxygenation due to emersion caused changes in the sediment redox environment and affected the nitrification and/or nitrate reduction rates. The nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus pools in the top 10 mm of sediment decreased markedly during immersion (up to 68% for nitrate and up to 44% for soluble reactive phosphorus), however, this result could not be solely explained by molecular diffusion.     

唐山市滨海湿地动态演变特征及其机制分析

利用历史资料和Landsat TM卫星遥感图像,研究了唐山市滨海湿地自建国以来的演变特征,着重对1987~2004年陡河———滦河之间的滨海平原湿地类型进行了识别,绘制了不同时期的景观面解译图。利用Mapinfo制图软件计算出两个时期的面积(比例)转化矩阵,显示该区滨海湿地破碎化加重,其动态演变特征呈明显退化趋势,进而提出引起其退化的原因和发展趋势预测。     

人工饲料饲养的对虾肠道菌群和水体细菌区系的研究

对人工饲料饲养的凡纳滨对虾Litopenaeus vannamei成虾肠道菌群组成及其水体细菌区系组成进行了研究.分离纯化后的革兰氏阴性菌鉴定到种的水平.对虾肠道菌群主要由弧菌Vibrio spp.、希瓦氏菌属Shewnella spp.、嗜氢菌属Hydrogenophaga spp.、伯克霍尔德氏菌Burkholderia spp.、气单胞菌Aeromonas spp.、食酸菌Acidovorax spp.和芽孢杆菌Bacillus spp.组成.水体细菌区系主要包括弧菌Vibrio spp.、希瓦氏菌属Shewnella spp.、艾肯菌Empedobacter spp.、无色杆菌Achromobacter spp.和芽孢杆菌Bacillus spp..肠道菌群和水体细菌区系的优势菌是副溶血弧菌Vibrio parahaemolyticus和芽孢杆菌Bacillus spp..利用Shannon-Wiener指数进行多样性分析,发现虾肠道多样性指数（H）和均匀度（J）高于水体细菌区系,而丰度（D）较低.     

珠江三角洲及珠江口海区的空气微生物含量

１９９４年６，７月，调查了广州、深圳、珠海及珠江口海区的空气微生物粒子沉降量状况。发现空气微生物粒子总量、真菌粒子量、真菌粒子数／总菌粒子数百分比在三市中不一致。这三种数据一般是陆上的高于海上。随着距陆的增加，都市影响的减弱和海面的开阔，空气微生物含量呈减少之势，显示出海洋新鲜空气对陆上污染空气的调节、净化作用。文中还分析了空气微生物有关参数与气温、风力或相对湿度间的相关关系。     

Application of Microbial BOD Sensors in Marine Monitoring

A strain of yeast, which can endure high osmotic pressure, is employed for the sensitive material of the microbial BOD sensor. Two immobilization methods are used, I.e. Calcium alginate gel be ads and PV A gel beads. The results show that the PVA gel beads is better. The influences of osmosis and heavy metal ions on the yeast entrapped in the PVA gel beads are also studied in the experiment.