Implementing low-cost landslide risk reduction: a pilot study in unplanned housing areas of the Caribbean

Landslides pose a serious physical and environmental threat to vulnerable communities living in areas of unplanned housing on steep slopes in the Caribbean. Some of these communities have, in the past, had to be relocated, at costs of millions of dollars, because of major slides triggered by tropical storm rainfall. Even so, evidence shows that: (1) risk reduction is a marginal activity; (2) there has been minimal uptake of hazard maps and vulnerability assessments and (3) there is little on-the-ground delivery of construction for risk reduction. This article directly addresses these issues by developing a low-cost approach to the identification of the potential pore pressure changes that trigger such slides we seek to address these three commentaries directly. A complex 45–60° slope site in St Lucia, West Indies was selected as a pilot for a modelling approach that uses numerical models (FLAC and CHASM) to verify the need for surface water management to effectively reduce landslide risk. Following the model confirmation, a series of drains were designed and constructed at the site. Post-construction evidence indicates the methodology to be sound, in that the site was stable in subsequent 1-in-1 to 1-in-4 year rainfall events. A critical feature of the approach is that it is community-based from data acquisition through to community members participating in construction.     

A semi-analytical solution for random wave-induced soil response and seabed liquefaction in marine sediments

In this study, unlike most previous investigations for wave-induced soil response, a simple semi-analytical model for the random wave-induced soil response is established for an unsaturated seabed of finite thickness. Two different wave spectra, the B-M and JONSWAP spectra, are considered in the new model. The influence of random wave loading on the soil response is investigated by comparing with the corresponding representative regular wave results through a parametric study, which includes the effect of the degree of saturation, soil permeability, wave height, wave period and seabed thickness. The maximum liquefaction depth under the random waves is also examined. The difference on the soil response under the two random wave types, B-M and JONSWAP frequency spectra, is also discussed in the present work.     

Determination of phospholipid fatty acid structures and stable carbon isotope compositions of deep-sea sediments of the Northwest Pacific, ODP site 1179

Sediment samples ranging from 0.05 to 278 m below sea floor (mbsf) at a Northwest Pacific deep-water (5564 mbsl) site (ODP Leg 191, Site 1179) were analyzed for phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). Total PLFA concentrations decreased by a factor of three over the first meter of sediment and then decreased at a slower rate to approximately 30 mbsf. The sharp decrease over the first meter corresponds to the depth of nitrate and Mn(IV) reduction as indicated by pore water chemistry. PLFA-based cell numbers at site 1179 had a similar depth profile as that for Acridine orange direct cell counts previously made on ODP site 1149 sediments which have a similar water depth and lithology. The mole percentage of straight chain saturated PLFAs increases with depth, with a large shift between the 0.95 and 3.95 mbsf samples. PLFA stable carbon isotope ratios were determined for sediments from 0.05 to 4.53 mbsf and showed a general trend toward more depleted δ¹³C values with depth. Both of these observations may indicate a shift in the bacterial community with depth across the different redox zones inferred from pore water chemistry data. The PLFA 10me16:0, which has been attributed to the bacterial genera Desulfobacter in many marine sediments, showed the greatest isotopic depletion, decreasing from − 20 to − 35‰ over the first meter of sediment. Pore water chemistry suggested that sulfate reduction was absent or minimal over this same sediment interval. However, 10me16:0 has been shown to be produced by recently discovered anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria which are known chemoautotrophs. The increasing depletion in δ¹³C of 10me16:0 with the unusually lower concentration of ammonium and linear decrease of nitrate concentration is consistent with a scenario of anammox bacteria mediating the oxidation of ammonium via nitrite, an intermediate of nitrate reduction.     

Analysis of seabed instability using element free Galerkin method

Wave-induced seabed instability, either momentary liquefaction or shear failure, is an important topic in ocean and coastal engineering. Many factors, such as seabed properties and wave parameters, affect the seabed instability. A non-dimensional parameter is proposed in this paper to evaluate the occurrence of momentary liquefaction. This parameter includes the properties of the soil and the wave. The determination of the wave-induced liquefaction depth is also suggested based on this non-dimensional parameter. As an example, a two-dimensional seabed with finite thickness is numerically treated with the EFGM meshless method developed early for wave-induced seabed responses. Parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of wavelength, compressibility of pore fluid, permeability and stiffness of porous media, and variable stiffness with depth on the seabed response with three criteria for liquefaction. It is found that this non-dimensional parameter is a good index for identifying the momentary liquefaction qualitatively, and the criterion of liquefaction with seepage force can be used to predict the deepest liquefaction depth.     

Coseismic responses and the mechanism behind MW 5.1 earthquake of March 14, 2005 in the Koyna–Warna region, India

An earthquake of M_w 5.1 occurred on March 14, 2005, in the seismically active Koyna–Warna region in western India, the site known for the largest reservoir triggered seismicity (RTS) in the world. For more than four decades, earthquakes with M  4.0 have occurred in this region at regular intervals. Impoundment of reservoirs and changes in lake levels can trigger earthquakes by two processes of stress modifications, namely direct loading effect of the reservoir and diffusion through various faults and fractures. In this paper we analysed the reservoir water level data at Koyna and Warna reservoirs prior to the occurrence of the March 14, 2005 earthquake, to explain the dominant mechanism behind its occurrence and its correlation with the observed coseismic changes. We conclude that the diffusion process, not the reservoir load effect, is the dominating mechanism triggering earthquakes in the region. The coseismic changes in deep well water levels sensitive to earth tides are found to be to the order of 1–12 cm.     

华北地区部分井孔稀有气体异常研究

介绍了近年来华北地区宝龙等 3口井稀有气体的显著异常 ,并据其特征与井孔水位动态的关系 ,对稀有气体异常的成因进行了理论分析与实验研究。结果表明 ,水位下降 10 0mm ,岩层孔隙、裂隙中的气体体积膨胀 0 0 0 90 % (气体体积百分比 ,下同 )左右。由于地下水位大幅度下降 ,岩层孔隙压力减小 ,积聚在岩层孔隙、裂隙中的气体体积膨胀溢出 ,导致井孔地下水中稀有气体含量出现异常变化。这些异常是干扰因素所致 ,不是地震异     

横山中侏罗世延安期响水曲流河道砂体的储集性研究

响水砂体是一出露比较完整的中生代的曲流河河道沉积。通过大断面写实的研究方法，运用沉积体系分析、层序地层分析、砂体内部沉积构成分析等方法，比较细致地划分了砂体内部成因单元和储层岩性相，从成因上研究了影响油气运移的沉积因素。通过砂体断面上一定间距的比较均匀的采样，并根据测试成果编图，展示了各种孔沙参数在空间的变化特点及其与各种界面、沉积水动力能量的联系，并依此总结曲流河点坝渗透率的分布模式。     

陕西直罗油田长_2油层组储层特征

直罗油田主力产层为三叠系延长组长2油层组，储层以三角洲分支河道砂体为主，岩性主要为长石细砂岩，大量的自生矿物对原生孔隙产生了很大程度的破坏。较强的成岩后生作用使得储层以粒间溶孔及原生粒间余孔为主要储集空间。储层孔隙结构表现为以小孔隙、小喉道为主要特征，非均质性较强。物性分布主要与其在砂体中的分布部位有关。     

Pore-water response on seasonal environmental changes in intertidal sediments of the Weser Estuary,Germany

In order to determine time-dependent changes in estuarine pore-water chemistry and flux variations across the sediment-water interface, sediment cores of an intertidal mud flat in the Weser Estuary were taken monthly over a one-year period. Sediment temperature, pH, Eh, Cl^–, O₂, NO ₃ ^– , and SO ₄ ^2– pore-water concentrations were measured and showed variations that relate to the changes of surface temperature and estuarine water composition. Fick's first law was applied to quantify diffusive fluxes from concentration gradients in the diffusive boundary layer and in the pore water. Total nitrate fluxes were calculated from flux chamber experiments. Diffusive oxygen fluxes increased from 5 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in winter to 18 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in early summer, while nitrate fluxes into the sediment increased from 3 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in winter to 60 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in early summer. Oxygen and nitrate fluxes into the sediment correlated linearly to sediment temperature. Sulfate fluxes increased from 0.5 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in winter to 10 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in August and September. Converted into carbon fluxes, the sum of these oxidants ranged from 10 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in winter to 80 mmol m^–2 d^–1 in summer. An estimation of the upper limit of the annual nitrate flux into the sediment showed that about 10% of the 250,000 t of nitrate discharged annually by the river may be decomposed within the inner Weser Estuary.     

Porewater pressure increases in soil and rock from underground chemical and nuclear explosions

A review and analysis of chemical and nuclear explosive-induced porewater pressure increases and induced rise in groundwater table elevations (groundwater mounding) is presented. Our analysis indicates that residual pore pressure increases and groundwater mounding can be induced by underground chemical and nuclear explosions to scaled distances of 879 m/(kt)^1/3. This relationship is linear over seven orders of magnitude of explosive energy ranging from a 0.01 kg chemical explosion to a 100 kt nuclear explosion and is valid for a wide variety of saturated geological profiles. Underground chemical explosions, and probably underground nuclear explosions have the potential to induce liquefaction of water-saturated soils to scaled distances of about 260 m/(kt)^1/3.